Fifty years from now, I don't expect to be here. I certainly expect my grandson will be here, nearing 60 years of age.
It would not be logical to expect Barack Obama to still be here, but it is possible he will surpass the century mark and enjoy many years of post-presidency productivity.
What I DO expect to occur at some point while they both still occupy space on this planet, is that these two and millions of others will read historical accounts of this presidential administration that was one of the very most successful in our national history. And the honesty and devotion to fact that historians are known to possess will make them also point out that no president ever had to work so hard to accomplish what citizens wanted and needed, simply because the other elected politicians of his day comprised the most worthless congress on record. And the problem wasn't just that they were lacking in any practical ability to perform their job, they were instead devoted to an effort to impede the president's and the nation's steps forward.
With a huge stroke of luck, the 2014 elections may return control of the congress to people who want to help an amazingly capable chief executive to do an even greater job of building our country.
The view back from the future will surely prove what I assert today. I so wish I could be around to witness the written words of historians.
Wednesday, January 29, 2014
Tuesday, January 28, 2014
Music Fulfills
Kudos to organizers of the Grammy Awards this year. Someone came to the realization that a great many old farts in the country might tune in (at least for some of the show) if it would yield a glimpse of Paul and Ringo. I caught part of it, then recorded the bulk of the show and sorted through it the next evening, naturally backing up the recording a time or two to more clearly see the oldies perform. It was deeply satisfying to see the remaining half of the Beatles, up there knocking out melodies as senior citizens. I even enjoyed watching Yoko bopping out to the music.
Much of the beat causing Yoko, Paul, Ringo and scores of others in the crowd to show lots of movement and pleasure, was provided by new young artists. Carole King also performed and she blended her rich old tones with those sharper new sounds of a recent arrival on the music scene. The youngster (name I can't recall) gushed later about the privilege of actually joining one of her greatest icons on the stage and Ms. King returned the comment that she was so glad to see the future of music in good hands. Quite a successful and entertaining duet, I felt personally.
And a successful awards program! No, I cannot say graciously that I enjoyed all of the show but I certainly appreciated a job well done and much of the output of new artists impressed me. Another youngster whose name I didn't know or remember, sang a powerful song with a message that all kids around the age of puberty should hear and heed. Amazing stuff coming out of young musicians - along with "stuff" that I cannot call amazing but certainly seems to turn on the youth of today. Hope "...it's all good."
Much of the beat causing Yoko, Paul, Ringo and scores of others in the crowd to show lots of movement and pleasure, was provided by new young artists. Carole King also performed and she blended her rich old tones with those sharper new sounds of a recent arrival on the music scene. The youngster (name I can't recall) gushed later about the privilege of actually joining one of her greatest icons on the stage and Ms. King returned the comment that she was so glad to see the future of music in good hands. Quite a successful and entertaining duet, I felt personally.
And a successful awards program! No, I cannot say graciously that I enjoyed all of the show but I certainly appreciated a job well done and much of the output of new artists impressed me. Another youngster whose name I didn't know or remember, sang a powerful song with a message that all kids around the age of puberty should hear and heed. Amazing stuff coming out of young musicians - along with "stuff" that I cannot call amazing but certainly seems to turn on the youth of today. Hope "...it's all good."
Monday, January 27, 2014
WTF Moment
A member of my own extended family - an otherwise intelligent lady - actually said to me yesterday that she would vote for Scott Walker as a presidential candidate.
Scott Walker! The man who is completely in the grasp of the Koch brothers and has turned Wisconsin into a tiny dictatorship; a man who angered his states citizens so much that they managed to set up a recall election but got thwarted by dirty-money politics.
Leading up to the state-of-the-union speech on Tuesday, people in television news are asking, "What IS the state of our union?" Apparently it's all fucked up!
If more of those idiot right wingnuts aren't ousted (the way Vagina Governor Bob McDonnell was) and maybe find justice coming down hard on them (the way FORMER Vagina Governor Bob McDonnell has), then much of our "union" will continue to be unified behind powerful madmen who want to see democracy destroyed.
Scott Walker! The man who is completely in the grasp of the Koch brothers and has turned Wisconsin into a tiny dictatorship; a man who angered his states citizens so much that they managed to set up a recall election but got thwarted by dirty-money politics.
Leading up to the state-of-the-union speech on Tuesday, people in television news are asking, "What IS the state of our union?" Apparently it's all fucked up!
If more of those idiot right wingnuts aren't ousted (the way Vagina Governor Bob McDonnell was) and maybe find justice coming down hard on them (the way FORMER Vagina Governor Bob McDonnell has), then much of our "union" will continue to be unified behind powerful madmen who want to see democracy destroyed.
Thursday, January 23, 2014
ATTITUDE
The word means so much - in many differing usages - but is so frequently tossed out in flippant or accusatory ways that the word itself is diminished in importance.
While in college, I was often told I had a "bad attitude," which was a criticism easily and very readily leveled at a rambunctious student in a church school where everyone was expected to be courting perfection. It occurs to me that even "close to perfect" attitudes are still subject to down-time and sometimes at the most unexpected moments, surprising everyone.
The (seemingly) considerate and "nice" fellow who was recently shot to death in a theater while texting, may not have been the slightest bit concerned about his "attitude" leading up to the split second of his death. The retired police captain who shot the young father for texting and not responding to warnings to stop, certainly could have better maintained a "good attitude" and refrained from drawing his gun in the situation. Perhaps this was a "nice guy" also, but one who had been through something frustrating or devastating prior to the event in the theater.
It's too bad that attitude isn't more consistently balanced and controlled by humans.
The ordinarily nice young man could have simply recognized that his use of the cell phone in a theater might be a nuisance to others and he could have stepped out to the lobby or outdoors to phone the day-care center to check on his little daughter. But for that short time when his mind was completely on making sure his two-year-old was okay, he wasn't quite completely in control of his "attitude."
The former police captain who still carried his side-arm everywhere certainly could have done any one of a number of things short of drawing his weapon to confront another human who was there as a short-term near neighbor to enjoy some entertainment. But he drew the gun because at that moment, his "attitude" was not at all under control. He somehow felt he had the right to react the way he did and that deadly force was acceptable.
It wasn't acceptable. It rarely is. But then, any use of deadly force EVER - by ANY human or trained army of shooters - should be considered unacceptable. Humans as a species don't see it this way. The very reason guns are everywhere present in our world is that humans would often rather kill someone than to keep their own attitudes in control.
People have laughed at me for saying a gun has no place in my home. The reason I make that statement is simple: a gun in my possession would be completely unused until the unfortunate time when it would be MISused. I could never shoot another human, so a gun in my possession would be completely foolish.
My simpler statement: guns are foolish! That's my attitude.
While in college, I was often told I had a "bad attitude," which was a criticism easily and very readily leveled at a rambunctious student in a church school where everyone was expected to be courting perfection. It occurs to me that even "close to perfect" attitudes are still subject to down-time and sometimes at the most unexpected moments, surprising everyone.
The (seemingly) considerate and "nice" fellow who was recently shot to death in a theater while texting, may not have been the slightest bit concerned about his "attitude" leading up to the split second of his death. The retired police captain who shot the young father for texting and not responding to warnings to stop, certainly could have better maintained a "good attitude" and refrained from drawing his gun in the situation. Perhaps this was a "nice guy" also, but one who had been through something frustrating or devastating prior to the event in the theater.
It's too bad that attitude isn't more consistently balanced and controlled by humans.
The ordinarily nice young man could have simply recognized that his use of the cell phone in a theater might be a nuisance to others and he could have stepped out to the lobby or outdoors to phone the day-care center to check on his little daughter. But for that short time when his mind was completely on making sure his two-year-old was okay, he wasn't quite completely in control of his "attitude."
The former police captain who still carried his side-arm everywhere certainly could have done any one of a number of things short of drawing his weapon to confront another human who was there as a short-term near neighbor to enjoy some entertainment. But he drew the gun because at that moment, his "attitude" was not at all under control. He somehow felt he had the right to react the way he did and that deadly force was acceptable.
It wasn't acceptable. It rarely is. But then, any use of deadly force EVER - by ANY human or trained army of shooters - should be considered unacceptable. Humans as a species don't see it this way. The very reason guns are everywhere present in our world is that humans would often rather kill someone than to keep their own attitudes in control.
People have laughed at me for saying a gun has no place in my home. The reason I make that statement is simple: a gun in my possession would be completely unused until the unfortunate time when it would be MISused. I could never shoot another human, so a gun in my possession would be completely foolish.
My simpler statement: guns are foolish! That's my attitude.
Wednesday, January 22, 2014
Tiny Bubbles . . .
Actually, that old song must have been praising the effects of a sparkling wine that ..."makes me feel fine." I don't think we are supposed to see bubbles in a regular wine - or any that are being advertised.
Sparkling wines I've tried so far are just okay with me; Champagne is quite nice, especially the dry type. There are laws now preventing the use of the name "Champagne" to denote any product not fermented in the specific area of France where it originated, hence the more recent proliferation of "sparkling wines" produced in the U.S. So if I were to sample a number of these, I might find some that I would enjoy as much as the original "bubbly."
Today, I am simply going to indulge in the tasting of several as-yet-unreleased wine products of the South Coast Winery in Temecula, CA. Well, to be honest, my wife and I will probably sample a few offerings at another tasting room or three, easily visited as part of the amazing array of wineries along the major road through the south side of Temecula. Our southern wine country is rapidly becoming a true competitor to Napa and Sonoma valleys, up north of San Francisco. The likely new wines we will be tasting are not the sparkling types but Cabernets, Merlots, Chardonnays and Zinfandels. No doubt, I will love several of them and almost certainly will bring home a bottle or two of some especially tasty product.
Bear in mind, I am no connoisseur of the fruit of the vine. More likely, I would come across the way Walter Matthau did in the movie, "Grumpy Old Men." There is almost always a box of wine in my refrigerator, and the bottles I "invest" in are used as gifts taken to dinners when invited by friends. My tastes in wine were never cultivated. My earliest experiences with wine tasting were in my pre-teens, but the "vintner" was my dad who produced home-made delights such as watermellon wine, elderberry wine, currant wine and dandelion wine. I'm not at all sure he ever got around to trying grapes!
Come to think of it, I had the perfect foundation to become that connoisseur, but as with many of my early awakenings in this life, the wine connection was left behind and almost forgotten. I wonder what my dad might think if he could visit the opulent settings we will enjoy today. We don't go often, but since the pleasurable adventure is less than an hour's drive from home, we treat ourselves now and then to the taste of some really fine wines. No sour grapes here!
Next Day: So what did we bring home? Three bottles of FLAVORED SPARKLING wine! There's no explanation except to say I try to keep an open mind.
Sparkling wines I've tried so far are just okay with me; Champagne is quite nice, especially the dry type. There are laws now preventing the use of the name "Champagne" to denote any product not fermented in the specific area of France where it originated, hence the more recent proliferation of "sparkling wines" produced in the U.S. So if I were to sample a number of these, I might find some that I would enjoy as much as the original "bubbly."
Today, I am simply going to indulge in the tasting of several as-yet-unreleased wine products of the South Coast Winery in Temecula, CA. Well, to be honest, my wife and I will probably sample a few offerings at another tasting room or three, easily visited as part of the amazing array of wineries along the major road through the south side of Temecula. Our southern wine country is rapidly becoming a true competitor to Napa and Sonoma valleys, up north of San Francisco. The likely new wines we will be tasting are not the sparkling types but Cabernets, Merlots, Chardonnays and Zinfandels. No doubt, I will love several of them and almost certainly will bring home a bottle or two of some especially tasty product.
Bear in mind, I am no connoisseur of the fruit of the vine. More likely, I would come across the way Walter Matthau did in the movie, "Grumpy Old Men." There is almost always a box of wine in my refrigerator, and the bottles I "invest" in are used as gifts taken to dinners when invited by friends. My tastes in wine were never cultivated. My earliest experiences with wine tasting were in my pre-teens, but the "vintner" was my dad who produced home-made delights such as watermellon wine, elderberry wine, currant wine and dandelion wine. I'm not at all sure he ever got around to trying grapes!
Come to think of it, I had the perfect foundation to become that connoisseur, but as with many of my early awakenings in this life, the wine connection was left behind and almost forgotten. I wonder what my dad might think if he could visit the opulent settings we will enjoy today. We don't go often, but since the pleasurable adventure is less than an hour's drive from home, we treat ourselves now and then to the taste of some really fine wines. No sour grapes here!
Next Day: So what did we bring home? Three bottles of FLAVORED SPARKLING wine! There's no explanation except to say I try to keep an open mind.
Saturday, January 11, 2014
HAIRY TICK
Over at The Age of Reason blog, Al gives an excellent light touch to the heavy matter of FEAR and its choke-hold on humanity. In this piece, he also mentions that one of the most horrendous words ever to be coined is "heretic." I so agree!
Often in my zany attempts at being humorous, I have changed the word to "hairy tick." But it's a poor reference indeed. We don't want ticks on our bodies, hairy ones or smooth ones; they're blood-suckers either way and they carry diseases. But the idea that a person can be labeled a HERETIC and therefore a human unworthy of life itself - well that is beyond words. It's certainly beyond humor!
And as Al so clearly points out, that whole labeling thing began due to fear.
Often in my zany attempts at being humorous, I have changed the word to "hairy tick." But it's a poor reference indeed. We don't want ticks on our bodies, hairy ones or smooth ones; they're blood-suckers either way and they carry diseases. But the idea that a person can be labeled a HERETIC and therefore a human unworthy of life itself - well that is beyond words. It's certainly beyond humor!
And as Al so clearly points out, that whole labeling thing began due to fear.
Wednesday, January 1, 2014
WELCOME # 2 - 2014
Wow - here it is, first morning of the new year. So glad to still be here!
Thanks to the continuous font of interest provided by my friend Al Dexter over at THE AGE OF REASON - - 21st CENTURY, I always get to enjoy some good reading and sometimes a little wry humor for the rough days; thanks to several thoughtful friends who send along simply humorous or simply beautiful forwards of many kinds, I have suffered less than I might have on the worst days of the doldrums; thanks to so many friends, both dear and casual from my college days who contribute now and then to a forum at A C Big Sandy website; and thanks most of all to my wife who has tirelessly maintained the most comfortable and loving home for me to appreciate and wallow in at all times during my terrible 2013, I am still here and smiling.
HAPPY NEW YEAR
Thanks to the continuous font of interest provided by my friend Al Dexter over at THE AGE OF REASON - - 21st CENTURY, I always get to enjoy some good reading and sometimes a little wry humor for the rough days; thanks to several thoughtful friends who send along simply humorous or simply beautiful forwards of many kinds, I have suffered less than I might have on the worst days of the doldrums; thanks to so many friends, both dear and casual from my college days who contribute now and then to a forum at A C Big Sandy website; and thanks most of all to my wife who has tirelessly maintained the most comfortable and loving home for me to appreciate and wallow in at all times during my terrible 2013, I am still here and smiling.
HAPPY NEW YEAR
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