Con Job - Joyce and I were approached the other day at Walmarts by a woman claiming to be stranded here. She had, according to her story, deposited her payroll check from Denny's at the Walmart customer service desk and had the total, $579.53 she said, giving the exact amount as if to make it seem more plausible, put on a Walmart Visa credit card. Then as she started to leave to do some shopping, they reminded her that she could not draw on the money for three days. She and her husband were effectively broke and stranded. They needed money for gas and for food. As she talked, she waved a Walmart Visa card back and forth for us to make her story more believable.
We listened, asked some questions. She had suspiciously ready answers for each of our questions, e.g., calling social services, contacting parents at home, etc. Then we refused her. It was just too slick ... and too suspicious. At that point she said thank you and quickly disappeared, probably to try and find a more willing or gullible sucker.
Walmart cashes payroll checks for $3. It says so on the giant sign behind the customer service counter. I later talked with a store assistant manager and told him of the incident. He said we did the right thing. There was no company policy about holding money from a check for three days. It was a con job pure and simple. Be forewarned.
Sandhill Cranes - The sandhill cranes are starting to pair up. It's fun to watch their mating dance. They crane their heads back, jump in the air and flap their wings. It must be a turn-on for them. I did a dance something like that awhile back when I hit my thumb with a hammer, but I don't remember Joyce being turned on by it. I also turned the air around me blue -- which is probably not a sexual turn-on for women.
I'm not sure why the cranes are "getting it on" at this time of year. Their chicks are not born until late February or early March. I'm sure it doesn't take that long for their eggs to hatch. But to tell the truth, I know very little about the procreation habits of sandhill cranes. I just know it is interesting to watch them this time of year.
They are all over the resort and golf course. They come into your yard as long as you leave them to their poking for whatever they are seeking under the ground. The golf course grounds keeper just loves them, as you can imagine, as they leave a sizable hole every time they poke and prod for whatever morsel they seek. Fortunately, through the use of pesticides, I suspect, they stay away from the greens.
Christmas Boycott - I notice that once again a great many, actually all that I've seen, merchants are posting signs in their windows and banners outside proclaiming "HAPPY HOLIDAYS." Christians, of course, resent this. They believe the signs and banners should say MERRY CHRISTMAS, this being the season in celebration of the birth of Christ. Christ, they believe, belongs in Christmas. One person I know goes so far as to complain if you refer in writing to Christmas as Xmas.
Merchants, of course, hope to appeal to a broader audience than just Christians, so they try to make their signs and banners a little more generic. Good Christians want no part of that, as you can imagine. Generic is an anathema to them every much bit much as the evil word "secular." Would you like to see a store sign that said HAPPY SECULAR SEASON? Of course not.
Still, the merchant who needs big sales this time of year to show a profit for the year is caught between acknowledging the origin and namesake of the Christmas season and not wanting to turn away non-Christians, of which there are many -- possibly more than their are Christian shoppers.
Nevertheless, a good old-fashioned boycott of those stores refusing to show proper respect for the King of kings might get their attention and compel them to change their signs and banners. So, why not encourage all good Christians to simply refuse to shop at stores showing a non-religious, secular sign this Christmas? If they all stayed away, refused to shop at such stores, merchants would surely notice and make appropriate changes.
Would it work? You know it would not. For, if they are nothing else, Christians are flexible. They have shown over the decades a willingness and ability to stretch and bend any rule of behavior or religious admonition that significantly interfered with their lives. They know full well that most such rules from the church are either man made or simply some man's interpretation of the scriptures and subject to change as society demands or world conditions dictate. Thus opening the way for the popular protestant belief that each individual is answerable only to God and can interpret the bible himself/herself without the benefit of clergy -- and in a manner appropriate for the moment.
Give up shopping at this time of year for presents? Don't be absurd!
Christmas Presents - Speaking of Christmas, Joyce today ordered my Christmas present: a new "Toshiba Black 14" Satellite M505D-S4970 Laptop PC with AMD Turion II M500 Dual-Core Processor & Windows 7 Home Premium." Boy, will I be surprised on Christmas morning.
In return, I got her two pair of sneakers and have ordered for her a brand new, 16.75 inch toilet stool. Wrapping it will likely be a bit difficult, but I know she will be surprised.
Monday, November 30, 2009
Tuesday, November 24, 2009
REGRIPPING GOLF CLUBS - EVEN A CAVEMAN CAN DO IT
It's official. I have re-gripped my first golf club. Actually, three of them so far.The grips on my Florida set of clubs had grown stiff and hard. If at home, I would have turned to a friend who re-grips golf clubs. But he's in Rotterdam, NY and I am in Florida. Well, I could probably find someone down here at Clerbrook Resort who does club re-gripping, but why should I? If one old retired codger can do it, surely I can.
I went online and settled on Golf Works. When I called I asked them if a hillbilly from the Ozarks could learn to re-grip golf clubs. They hesitated a moment and then said yes, sure. Okay, I said, how about a left-handed hillbilly. They hesitated a bit longer but finally said they were sure I could do it. All right, I said, feeling more confident, how about a left-handed hillbilly who moved to upstate New York? I guess they figured that showed a level of intelligence somewhat below what they usually considered as necessary for the job. However, after some deliberation (and, I believe, some snickering in the background) and since they obviously wanted to make a sale they reluctantly agreed I could do it.
I placed my order and waited anxiously for the grips to arrive, which they eventually did. I already had a vise and a utility knife so all I needed was some grips, some double-sided tape and some solvent. Just to be on the safe side (figuring I would screw up at least one, probably the first one) I ordered extra grips.
The Internet is a wonderful place for getting information and I found plenty on how to re-grip golf clubs. Before I grad-yoo-ated from the eighth grade, I learned to do some simple research and I put them smarts to work. I reviewed a half-dozen articles (some with pictures, which I greatly appreciated) on how to re-grip golf clubs. It seemed simple enough -- even for a doofus.
I started with my 3-iron, since that's the club I use the least. If I totally screwed it up, it would be no big loss.
IS GLENN BECK STARTING A THIRD PARTY?
The headline in the Orlando Sentinel this morning read: "Glenn Beck sets sights on political organizing." Glenn Beck is best known, perhaps, for his political rants (mostly against the Obama administration) on Fox News television. He is, to say the least, a little over the top sometimes.
He knows how to gather a crowd, which in this case means gather TV ratings. That's what any respectable television personality, liberal, moderate, conservative, news reporter or otherwise, is after. No ratings, no job.
Well now, according to the Sentinel, Beck hopes "to transform his personal celebrity into political action and has begun to assemble a movement to 'change America's course.'" While in Florida recently promoting his new book, "Arguing with Idiots," Beck said "America, we cannot wait for a leader anymore. The people must lead, and the leader will follow."
We know he has already discounted the president as a leader, but this statement suggests that he is admitting that the opposition party, the Republicans, lacks leadership as well. That seems clear to most Americans since he, Rush Limbaugh and Laura Ingraham seem to be the major spokespeople for the Republican Party these days. Indeed, the Sentinel article states, "Beck's announcement is the latest in a series of attempts by well-known, right leaning figures to fill a leadership void in the Republican Party, which has no clear nationally popular standard-bearer and has seen a schism arise between moderates and the conservative flank."
Conscientious voters across the nation should be encouraging Beck's success. Republicans made a big deal of Obama's lack of leadership experience and disparaged his community organization background. But, they had to notice that that very background led to one of the most skillfully crafted and organized campaigns in recent history. Beck seems to have taken notice, at least, and wants to organize Conservatives in a similar manner. Regardless, any attempt by any person to get Americans off their duffs and actively participating in the process of nominating, electing and monitoring our government officials has to be a good thing. We should all hope Beck succeeds.
Democrats will have another reason for hoping he succeeds. If the Glenn Beck Conservatives become united and decide to split from the lackluster leadership of the Republican Party, they will by such action assure the Democrats control of Washington for the next several elections cycles. Third-party movements invariably weaken the voting strength of one party. (Do I need to mention Ralph Nadir or Ross Perot?)
There are rational, reasonable conservatives in both the Democratic and Republican Parties, albeit more of them have, in recent years, gravitated to the Republican Party. The problem for Republican leaders is not the conservatives in their midst. Hell, they are happy to have them as it adds to their voting strength. The conservatives, however, give them a broader base to which they must appeal, and John McCain found it nearly impossible in the last presidential election to appeal to that very broad base and remain true to his own principals.
Why? Because the conservatives represent such a broad range of expectations and ideologies, partly, I suspect, because of far right religious groups who have found a voting voice in the conservative movement. They are not just social conservatives or financial conservatives or political conservatives, they are radical conservatives. There is no middle ground on anything. Their view is the only view.
Americans are by and large moderates. We are a sort of live-and-let-live bunch of people. Not so the religious conservatives. They march to their own drummer and by god you will too -- if they have their way.
Glenn Beck may do the country a favor if he successfully gets more Americans to organize their block, their neighborhood, their town and state and become actively involved in our political process. He should be wary about the tiger he is letting out of the bag, however. He may find it hard to control that cat once it is let loose.
He knows how to gather a crowd, which in this case means gather TV ratings. That's what any respectable television personality, liberal, moderate, conservative, news reporter or otherwise, is after. No ratings, no job.
Well now, according to the Sentinel, Beck hopes "to transform his personal celebrity into political action and has begun to assemble a movement to 'change America's course.'" While in Florida recently promoting his new book, "Arguing with Idiots," Beck said "America, we cannot wait for a leader anymore. The people must lead, and the leader will follow."
We know he has already discounted the president as a leader, but this statement suggests that he is admitting that the opposition party, the Republicans, lacks leadership as well. That seems clear to most Americans since he, Rush Limbaugh and Laura Ingraham seem to be the major spokespeople for the Republican Party these days. Indeed, the Sentinel article states, "Beck's announcement is the latest in a series of attempts by well-known, right leaning figures to fill a leadership void in the Republican Party, which has no clear nationally popular standard-bearer and has seen a schism arise between moderates and the conservative flank."
Conscientious voters across the nation should be encouraging Beck's success. Republicans made a big deal of Obama's lack of leadership experience and disparaged his community organization background. But, they had to notice that that very background led to one of the most skillfully crafted and organized campaigns in recent history. Beck seems to have taken notice, at least, and wants to organize Conservatives in a similar manner. Regardless, any attempt by any person to get Americans off their duffs and actively participating in the process of nominating, electing and monitoring our government officials has to be a good thing. We should all hope Beck succeeds.
Democrats will have another reason for hoping he succeeds. If the Glenn Beck Conservatives become united and decide to split from the lackluster leadership of the Republican Party, they will by such action assure the Democrats control of Washington for the next several elections cycles. Third-party movements invariably weaken the voting strength of one party. (Do I need to mention Ralph Nadir or Ross Perot?)
There are rational, reasonable conservatives in both the Democratic and Republican Parties, albeit more of them have, in recent years, gravitated to the Republican Party. The problem for Republican leaders is not the conservatives in their midst. Hell, they are happy to have them as it adds to their voting strength. The conservatives, however, give them a broader base to which they must appeal, and John McCain found it nearly impossible in the last presidential election to appeal to that very broad base and remain true to his own principals.
Why? Because the conservatives represent such a broad range of expectations and ideologies, partly, I suspect, because of far right religious groups who have found a voting voice in the conservative movement. They are not just social conservatives or financial conservatives or political conservatives, they are radical conservatives. There is no middle ground on anything. Their view is the only view.
Americans are by and large moderates. We are a sort of live-and-let-live bunch of people. Not so the religious conservatives. They march to their own drummer and by god you will too -- if they have their way.
Glenn Beck may do the country a favor if he successfully gets more Americans to organize their block, their neighborhood, their town and state and become actively involved in our political process. He should be wary about the tiger he is letting out of the bag, however. He may find it hard to control that cat once it is let loose.
Monday, November 23, 2009
THINGS YOU NEVER FORGET
They say you never forget how to ride a bike. I think it must be true.
We have two bikes here in Florida that I serviced this afternoon by adding air to the tires. Everything else seemed in order. Soon after, I decided to go to the post office here at the resort to check today's mail. (There was none of any interest.) Even though I have not been on a bicycle since last March, I stepped on the left pedal, threw my leg over the seat like a 20-year-old and started peddling down the street. It was only after I had gone a block or so that I realized: no wobble, no hesitation, no thought to what I was doing. You just don't forget how to ride a bike.
I could think of only one other sport in which this is true. I suspect that once you learn to swim, you never forget. Once you learn to trust the buoyancy of the water to hold you up and learn to kick you legs while pulling yourself through the water with cupped hands, you probably don't forget it. You may lose some of your speed or power if you don't swim regularly, but you don't forget how to swim. You may have to stop and tread water (another skill I doubt you forget) if you try to swim very far, shoulder impingement or some other age-related infirmary may prevent you from swimming well or far, but you will remember how to swim.
In most individual sports, golf comes to mind, you may not entirely forget how to do it, but you surely lose some of your strength, your rhythm and your skill. You can no doubt still hit the ball, but maybe not as far or with the accuracy you once had. Of course, that can be said of biking: you can still ride a bike, but maybe not with the speed or skill you had as a youngster.
Still, I will stick with my original assertion: you never forget how to ride a bike.
We have two bikes here in Florida that I serviced this afternoon by adding air to the tires. Everything else seemed in order. Soon after, I decided to go to the post office here at the resort to check today's mail. (There was none of any interest.) Even though I have not been on a bicycle since last March, I stepped on the left pedal, threw my leg over the seat like a 20-year-old and started peddling down the street. It was only after I had gone a block or so that I realized: no wobble, no hesitation, no thought to what I was doing. You just don't forget how to ride a bike.
I could think of only one other sport in which this is true. I suspect that once you learn to swim, you never forget. Once you learn to trust the buoyancy of the water to hold you up and learn to kick you legs while pulling yourself through the water with cupped hands, you probably don't forget it. You may lose some of your speed or power if you don't swim regularly, but you don't forget how to swim. You may have to stop and tread water (another skill I doubt you forget) if you try to swim very far, shoulder impingement or some other age-related infirmary may prevent you from swimming well or far, but you will remember how to swim.
In most individual sports, golf comes to mind, you may not entirely forget how to do it, but you surely lose some of your strength, your rhythm and your skill. You can no doubt still hit the ball, but maybe not as far or with the accuracy you once had. Of course, that can be said of biking: you can still ride a bike, but maybe not with the speed or skill you had as a youngster.
Still, I will stick with my original assertion: you never forget how to ride a bike.
Saturday, November 21, 2009
TIS THE SEASON: CRECHE OR CURSE
It's that time of year. Actually, "that time of year" is a week into the season and about two weeks ahead of when most folks expect it. I speak of the Christmas season.
Most retail stores have had their Christmas decorations out for a week or more. They, along with some of the radio stations, started playing Christmas music this past week, at least here in Florida. Some have tried to be politically correct by referring to this as the "Holiday" season, but others have simply given up and just call it the Christmas season.
The City Council of Orlando is apparently among that latter group. They announced earlier this past week that there would be no Christmas tree at City Hall this year. This is the first time in memory for many residents and, in fact, it is, according to the Orlando Sentinel, the first time since 1950 that "Along with the Christmas Star that ... hung above Orange Avenue ...," the City Hall tree will be missing this year. Mayor Buddy Dyer and the City Council decided that both were a luxury the city could not afford in the current economic circumstances, thus saving the city $22,000.
Predictably, some folks were upset. They were concerned with the loss of another Christmas tradition and some viewed this as another attempt to remove Christ from Christmas. I did not specifically read or hear that, but it seems reasonable in light of past expressions of frustration.
Regardless, some good folks came through and did what more of us should do. They donated the money and the tree so the city could have its Christmas tree. Warren Brown and Co., a North Carolina tree farm, donated a 31-foot blue spruce and AirTran Airways and WFTV-Channel 9 in Orlando donated $6,800 for transporting and installing the tree. Further, Jack Ewing, owner of Santa's Christmas Tree Farm in Eustis, FL donated a 20-foot sand pine. So now the city has two Christmas trees.
Although we don't hear as much about it as in the past, this story reminded me of the concern some citizens had when they learned their City Council would no longer allow a creche on the Court House lawn. Call it a creche, manger scene or nativity scene; it was a religious symbol, a purely Christian religious symbol at that, which violated the law regarding separation of church and state.
The manger scene was a long-standing tradition in many communities and one that evoked warm memories for many local citizens. It was unfortunately also against the law. City attorneys advised against such displays.
As with so many other forms of Christian religion expression, it did not matter that it was traditional, had a long history in the community or, for that matter, enjoyed the support of a majority of the community. The creche on the Court House lawn or any other public land was illegal. Secular, non-religious, decorations were all right, which, of course, rankled the devout so much that they stormed City Hall in protest.
We need to recognize two important facts: First of all, it doesn't matter how many Ten Commandment depictions were engraved over Court House entrances in the past the Supreme Court had determined in recent years that such expressions of the Christian faith violate the separation of church and state. The phrase "separation of church and state" is a metaphorical reference first made by Thomas Jefferson to the "establishment clause" of the Constitution that states, "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof." Second, citizens are still free to express their religious views in any way they want that does not violate local zoning or display laws.
So I came up with this idea. If every citizen, even half of them, who want to see a creche on the Court House lawn were to put such a creche on their OWN lawn there would be more manger scenes depicting the message of Christmas for the people of town to see than would ever be seen by the lone creche at the city square.
Instead of spending hundreds of dollars for lights, trees, blow-up lawn Santa Claus balloons and such, just install a nativity scene of whatever size you deem appropriate your front yard. Put a couple of spot lights on it and proclaim the Christian message of Christmas for everyone to enjoy.
What is that adage? You can curse the darkness or light a candle. Well, you can curse the law, the secular humanists, the non-believers or the commercialization of Christmas ... or you can put a spot light on an appropriate, lawful, expression of your faith on your front lawn where neighbors and many others will see it. And I assure that if you and your like-minded neighbors do this, the TV crew with cameras rolling will be on your block before you can say Merry Christmas.
Most retail stores have had their Christmas decorations out for a week or more. They, along with some of the radio stations, started playing Christmas music this past week, at least here in Florida. Some have tried to be politically correct by referring to this as the "Holiday" season, but others have simply given up and just call it the Christmas season.
The City Council of Orlando is apparently among that latter group. They announced earlier this past week that there would be no Christmas tree at City Hall this year. This is the first time in memory for many residents and, in fact, it is, according to the Orlando Sentinel, the first time since 1950 that "Along with the Christmas Star that ... hung above Orange Avenue ...," the City Hall tree will be missing this year. Mayor Buddy Dyer and the City Council decided that both were a luxury the city could not afford in the current economic circumstances, thus saving the city $22,000.
Predictably, some folks were upset. They were concerned with the loss of another Christmas tradition and some viewed this as another attempt to remove Christ from Christmas. I did not specifically read or hear that, but it seems reasonable in light of past expressions of frustration.
Regardless, some good folks came through and did what more of us should do. They donated the money and the tree so the city could have its Christmas tree. Warren Brown and Co., a North Carolina tree farm, donated a 31-foot blue spruce and AirTran Airways and WFTV-Channel 9 in Orlando donated $6,800 for transporting and installing the tree. Further, Jack Ewing, owner of Santa's Christmas Tree Farm in Eustis, FL donated a 20-foot sand pine. So now the city has two Christmas trees.
Although we don't hear as much about it as in the past, this story reminded me of the concern some citizens had when they learned their City Council would no longer allow a creche on the Court House lawn. Call it a creche, manger scene or nativity scene; it was a religious symbol, a purely Christian religious symbol at that, which violated the law regarding separation of church and state.
The manger scene was a long-standing tradition in many communities and one that evoked warm memories for many local citizens. It was unfortunately also against the law. City attorneys advised against such displays.
As with so many other forms of Christian religion expression, it did not matter that it was traditional, had a long history in the community or, for that matter, enjoyed the support of a majority of the community. The creche on the Court House lawn or any other public land was illegal. Secular, non-religious, decorations were all right, which, of course, rankled the devout so much that they stormed City Hall in protest.
We need to recognize two important facts: First of all, it doesn't matter how many Ten Commandment depictions were engraved over Court House entrances in the past the Supreme Court had determined in recent years that such expressions of the Christian faith violate the separation of church and state. The phrase "separation of church and state" is a metaphorical reference first made by Thomas Jefferson to the "establishment clause" of the Constitution that states, "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof." Second, citizens are still free to express their religious views in any way they want that does not violate local zoning or display laws.
So I came up with this idea. If every citizen, even half of them, who want to see a creche on the Court House lawn were to put such a creche on their OWN lawn there would be more manger scenes depicting the message of Christmas for the people of town to see than would ever be seen by the lone creche at the city square.
Instead of spending hundreds of dollars for lights, trees, blow-up lawn Santa Claus balloons and such, just install a nativity scene of whatever size you deem appropriate your front yard. Put a couple of spot lights on it and proclaim the Christian message of Christmas for everyone to enjoy.
What is that adage? You can curse the darkness or light a candle. Well, you can curse the law, the secular humanists, the non-believers or the commercialization of Christmas ... or you can put a spot light on an appropriate, lawful, expression of your faith on your front lawn where neighbors and many others will see it. And I assure that if you and your like-minded neighbors do this, the TV crew with cameras rolling will be on your block before you can say Merry Christmas.
Friday, November 20, 2009
HOW SHALL WE DIE: SWINE FLU OR SWINE SHAPE?
The news announcement got my attention. It should have gotten everyone's attention, particularly the Obama administration people responsible for monitoring the nation's physical health. We are one of the fattest nation's on the earth!
I suppose I shouldn't throw in the Obama administration that way. For all I know they are aware of the statistics and doing all they can. The problem is, I don't know. I'm not hearing much out of Washington except some hand-wringing about the numbers. Where are the Republicans on this matter? Let's hear their proposal for dealing with the nation's blubber butts and pot bellies.
Here are some of the numbers, in case you missed them:
It's not fair to pick on Walmart's. They are not the cause of the problem. We are!
We eat too much. We eat too much of the wrong foods. We have too much soda, ice cream, snack chips and other junk around the house in easy reach.
And we do not exercise enough. We will sign up for exercise class and then drive over someone to park as close as possible to the front door of the exercise room. We will drive around and around the parking lot waiting to find a parking space right up near the entrance to the store we plan to shop. And then we will come out, start the car and drive a half block to the next store in the mall. In every way possible, we avoid getting off our fat butts and moving.
Here are some suggestions:
I suppose I shouldn't throw in the Obama administration that way. For all I know they are aware of the statistics and doing all they can. The problem is, I don't know. I'm not hearing much out of Washington except some hand-wringing about the numbers. Where are the Republicans on this matter? Let's hear their proposal for dealing with the nation's blubber butts and pot bellies.
Here are some of the numbers, in case you missed them:
- 43 percent of Americans will be obese by 2018 (That's awfully close to half, folks.)
- 10 percent of people who are classified medically as obese believe they have a healthy body size and do not need to lose weight (Don't they ever get naked in front of a mirror?)
- 32 percent of kids and teens from 6 to 19 years of age are overweight and 17 percent are obese.
It's not fair to pick on Walmart's. They are not the cause of the problem. We are!
We eat too much. We eat too much of the wrong foods. We have too much soda, ice cream, snack chips and other junk around the house in easy reach.
And we do not exercise enough. We will sign up for exercise class and then drive over someone to park as close as possible to the front door of the exercise room. We will drive around and around the parking lot waiting to find a parking space right up near the entrance to the store we plan to shop. And then we will come out, start the car and drive a half block to the next store in the mall. In every way possible, we avoid getting off our fat butts and moving.
Here are some suggestions:
- In the 1960s, President Kennedy created the President's Council on Physical Fitness. The president publicly encouraged physical fitness and the council published a book of age-appropriate exercises for adults and children. We need that again.
- Park at the far end of the parking lot from any store entrance and walk that 100 yards or so. Do that every shopping trip and you will add miles to your shoes over the next year. Strive for 10,000 steps a day.
- Get the junk food snacks out of your kitchen cabinets, if you and your kids cannot otherwise control your cravings. If it's not there you won't eat it. If you want it bad enough, get up, make it or bake it yourself, or do without.
- Let's have enabling legislation that allows insurance companies to hike the rates (health or life insurance) on overweight people. Overweight people already cost companies millions each year in missed days work, excessive health care costs and physical accommodations for their "plus" sizes, and they put a strain (literally) on our medical facilities. Let's start charging overweight individuals and maybe if they have less money (because of higher insurance premiums) they will eat less.
- Let's stop making fools of ourselves by making a fuss when our porky-sized child cannot get the swine-flu vaccine. Deal with the health problem you can see, Mom, and stop harassing health officials over the one you worry about.
- If you or your kids have emotional issues or self-esteem issues, then get help for the problem. Don't avoid the issue by eating and creating a physical condition that adds to the problem. Eating is not a cure!
- And, let's stop making excuses. We are out of shape, physically. We are fat and getting fatter. Just look around. We created the flabby mess we are in and it's up to us to change it.
Thursday, November 19, 2009
THE CARDINAL WAS OUT OF LINE
I saw this article by Ellen Goodman the other day and could not believe my eyes. Has the religious divisiveness in this country become such that we have lost all sense of propriety? Are the secular humanists the only ones we can count on to be decent and civil toward all men.
Ellen Goodman
BOSTON -- It was one of those small shocks that come unexpectedly in the wake of a death. Just days after the country had buried Ted Kennedy, Cardinal Sean O'Malley took to his blog to defend himself from critics attacking him for presiding over the funeral of a pro-choice senator. Ellen Goodman
The cardinal called for civility and then went on to explain how he'd used the occasion to lobby one of the mourners: the president of the United States. He told Barack Obama that, yes, the Catholic bishops wanted universal health care but "we will not support a plan that will include a provision for abortion or could open the way to abortions in the future."
Is there an etiquette for lobbying at a funeral? Unseemly is too mild a word. This politicking during a national outpouring of loss for the last of the Kennedy brothers, a time when tens of thousands of Americans of every religion lined up to say their farewells, was a warning sign.
I have only included the first few paragraphs of Goodman's article, but you can get the gist of the article. "The cardinal called for civility and then went on to explain how he'd used the occasion to lobby one of the mourners: the president of the United States." The cardinal called for civility? There is no civility in using a funeral to lobby anyone for any reason. There is no explanation.
I thought we had gotten rid of the mean-spirited religious fanatics of the 1990s who thought they could say and do anything as long as defended it with their narrow religious views. If it was all right with god -- in their opinion -- then it was all right.
Such religious fanatics, folks, are the stuff from which terrorists are made. Those who would blow up themselves along with countless people in a crowded bazaar are cut from the same cloth as those who will blow up an abortion clinic. Yes, it's that simple, and that scary.
Oh, I know what you're thinking, Muslim fanatics are the problem, not Christian fanatics. Nonsense. Religious fanatics of all stripes march to their own drummer. They feel they can do what they want because it is in God's cause. God commands them. They cannot refuse. They cannot be denied.
I must ask the question: Can an all powerful God only promote His agenda by killing innocent people? I have a problem with that, if true.
Zealots, fanatics for any cause should concern us all.
Fanatics would overturn the Constitution. Zealots will have you believe that this country was created as a Christian country. Not so. Check the Declaration of Independence.
When in the Course of human events it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another and to assume among the powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the Laws of Nature and of Nature's God entitle them, a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation.
We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness. — That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed,...
No reference to the Christian church or any church there. I've taken the liberty of highlighting some phrases you might focus on.
The Declaration states that we may assume the separate and equal station to which the laws of nature and nature's god entitle us. Not the Puritan god, not the Christian god, not the Muslim god, but nature's god, however you choose to interpret that.
God's laws (your god, my god, anyone's god) has equal station with the laws of nature, which, I must point out seldom differ from one country or culture to another. The sun comes up in the east, apples fall, water freezes, hot air rises, and so forth. It's only the "laws of god" that give us trouble because there seems to be a multitude of gods and, in this country at least, a multitude of ways to recognize, worship or secure the blessings of god.
The framers of the Declaration had it right. Let the governments secured among men derive their just powers from the consent of the governed, period.
Cardinal Sean O'Malley has the same right as any ordinary citizen to lobby the president or any member of our government with his views on abortion or any other strongly held view, at the appropriate time and place. But to do so, he needs to remove his cardinal's hat and assume the posture of an ordinary citizen. With his cardinal's hat firmly affixed at the Kennedy funeral, he was not an ordinary citizen, and we acknowledge and honor him accordingly.
As much as it rankles some people to admit it, we are a secular nation founded on the belief that men can govern themselves. We do not need a king, real world or other world. How men arrive at their individual judgments about who to vote for is up to them, but it is their collective judgment that we rely on to determine those who will lead the government.
That government may not use our church services or other religious ceremonies to promote its agenda. Likewise, church leaders like Cardinal O'Malley should refrain from using church ceremonies to promote a religious or private agenda.
Saturday, November 7, 2009
FLORIDA - DAY 2
I have to report on last night before moving on to reveal the adventures Joyce and I experienced Day 2 of our trip.
Last night was a more exciting venture than we expected. Who would have thought that we would encounter traffic backups at 6:30 in the evening. We did. Three lanes of traffic sometimes came to a complete stop. Don't know why. We missed our seven o'clock reservation at the Corner Stable Restaurant by 30 minutes because of the traffic. Why don't people stay home on Friday night?
The Corner Stable Restaurant is, reportedly, Baltimore's best BBQ rib and crab shack. I know that because it said so on the menu. Besides, Mike Sellers, my granddaughter's boyfriend likes it, and he likes to eat, so it must be good. It was good and we left with at least as much food as we consumed. Could not eat all they brought on our plates. (And, yes, I got to play sugar daddy and pick up the bill.)
Mike and Alyssa are shown at the far left, below. Both are students at Towson College. Mike is majoring in marketing and Alyssa is majoring in mass communications. The picture on the right is of Alyssa at her apartment. She is holding an original Chuck's Chips bark carving she requested I make for her.
We had to take Alyssa's camera shy, socially awkward sister, Laura, along because she doesn't get out much. You can see why. Her mother, our daughter, is hiding behind her.
This is what made paying the dinner bill worthwhile. Just being seen in public with these four beautiful ladies -- Joyce (not shown), Cheryl, Alyssa and Laura -- is more honor than I deserve.
Last night was a more exciting venture than we expected. Who would have thought that we would encounter traffic backups at 6:30 in the evening. We did. Three lanes of traffic sometimes came to a complete stop. Don't know why. We missed our seven o'clock reservation at the Corner Stable Restaurant by 30 minutes because of the traffic. Why don't people stay home on Friday night?
The Corner Stable Restaurant is, reportedly, Baltimore's best BBQ rib and crab shack. I know that because it said so on the menu. Besides, Mike Sellers, my granddaughter's boyfriend likes it, and he likes to eat, so it must be good. It was good and we left with at least as much food as we consumed. Could not eat all they brought on our plates. (And, yes, I got to play sugar daddy and pick up the bill.)
Mike and Alyssa are shown at the far left, below. Both are students at Towson College. Mike is majoring in marketing and Alyssa is majoring in mass communications. The picture on the right is of Alyssa at her apartment. She is holding an original Chuck's Chips bark carving she requested I make for her.
We had to take Alyssa's camera shy, socially awkward sister, Laura, along because she doesn't get out much. You can see why. Her mother, our daughter, is hiding behind her.
This is what made paying the dinner bill worthwhile. Just being seen in public with these four beautiful ladies -- Joyce (not shown), Cheryl, Alyssa and Laura -- is more honor than I deserve.Actually, Day 2 consisted of Joyce, Cheryl and I straightening up the back porch, bringing in some lawn furniture, doing some shopping, and watching football. Maybe something more exciting will happen tomorrow. If so, you will learn about it first right here.
Friday, November 6, 2009
FLORIDA - DAY 1
Yesterday seemed like Day 1 because we spent all day packing the car and making sure everything in the house was the way we wanted it upon our return. Hence, we were pretty much exhausted last night when we went to bed.
Nevertheless, we awoke this morning at 6:00, which is normal for us, and started getting all those last minute things done that couldn't be taken care of the night before. There was morning coffee, of course, and our individual routines of getting dressed -- Joyce has to shave and I had to apply my makeup. While Joyce finished up in the bedroom, I started on the basement routine: turn down the water heater, turn off the water to the water softener and ice maker, and make a sweep of the place to make sure everything is turned off and/or unplugged that should be.
Believe it or not, we were on the road by 7:00. Without the motorhome to provide some laughs, or aggravation, as the case may be, our trips now are generally without incident. We ran into a little snow as we approached the higher altitudes (above 1,200 feet) around Cobleskill, but traffic was light and we cruised along with the cruise control set at 70 for most of the trip to Binghamton. We ran into more traffic once we got to Wilkes Barre and beyond, but nothing that slowed us much or gave us any concern.
You sure get to see more of this great country when driving and, in this case, we couldn't help but notice the gradually changing tree color as we wandered south through Pennsylvania. The leaves are now nearly all gone around Schenectady, but in Pennsylvania and here in Maryland there are still leaves on the trees and loads of color. You can tell that the peak color is past, however. Many of the farms we passed had not yet combined their corn or soybeans. I'm not sure what they are waiting on, but then, what do I know? I'm just a passing observer.
Anyway, we made it to our daughter's house in Walkersville, MD around 2:30. Our daughter got home from work around 3:30 and informed us that we are driving to Baltimore this evening to have dinner with our granddaughter and her boyfriend. They both attend Towson College there. Guess who will get the honor of picking up that bill.
Nevertheless, we awoke this morning at 6:00, which is normal for us, and started getting all those last minute things done that couldn't be taken care of the night before. There was morning coffee, of course, and our individual routines of getting dressed -- Joyce has to shave and I had to apply my makeup. While Joyce finished up in the bedroom, I started on the basement routine: turn down the water heater, turn off the water to the water softener and ice maker, and make a sweep of the place to make sure everything is turned off and/or unplugged that should be.
Believe it or not, we were on the road by 7:00. Without the motorhome to provide some laughs, or aggravation, as the case may be, our trips now are generally without incident. We ran into a little snow as we approached the higher altitudes (above 1,200 feet) around Cobleskill, but traffic was light and we cruised along with the cruise control set at 70 for most of the trip to Binghamton. We ran into more traffic once we got to Wilkes Barre and beyond, but nothing that slowed us much or gave us any concern.
You sure get to see more of this great country when driving and, in this case, we couldn't help but notice the gradually changing tree color as we wandered south through Pennsylvania. The leaves are now nearly all gone around Schenectady, but in Pennsylvania and here in Maryland there are still leaves on the trees and loads of color. You can tell that the peak color is past, however. Many of the farms we passed had not yet combined their corn or soybeans. I'm not sure what they are waiting on, but then, what do I know? I'm just a passing observer.
Anyway, we made it to our daughter's house in Walkersville, MD around 2:30. Our daughter got home from work around 3:30 and informed us that we are driving to Baltimore this evening to have dinner with our granddaughter and her boyfriend. They both attend Towson College there. Guess who will get the honor of picking up that bill.
Thursday, November 5, 2009
THE CAR IS PACKED, IT'S TIME TO GO
The car is packed. I mean really packed. I thought we were just going to Florida for a few months. Looking in the car, one might think we were moving there permanently.
It's amazing how much stuff you think you need for an extended stay; probably twice as much as you will actually use. Regardless, we have sorted, sifted and discarded all we think we can and we still have the back of the Santa Fe packed. There is the travel bag with clothes we will need on the trip to Florida, the larger bag with clothes we will need while in Florida, a small bag for toiletries and such, another bag for the medications that keep us alive and healthy and then clothes on hangers, my laptop computer, tools and on and on. I can, however, still see out the rear window, so I guess that means there is room for more. Egad! That thought scares me.
It's amazing how much stuff you think you need for an extended stay; probably twice as much as you will actually use. Regardless, we have sorted, sifted and discarded all we think we can and we still have the back of the Santa Fe packed. There is the travel bag with clothes we will need on the trip to Florida, the larger bag with clothes we will need while in Florida, a small bag for toiletries and such, another bag for the medications that keep us alive and healthy and then clothes on hangers, my laptop computer, tools and on and on. I can, however, still see out the rear window, so I guess that means there is room for more. Egad! That thought scares me.
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