A few days ago I read a brief story in the TCPalm about a seven year old youngster named Ethan Hendon. It seems that Ethan was born with a heart defect, and though he has had several operations and received vitally needed care, he is now at the point that he needs a heart transplant.  Again, he is just seven years old. The story made me think, not just about Ethan's precious life, but about our country and ourselves.  So, it brought to mind foreign aid.  This is money that we basically jusy give away, mostly to countries that don't need it and hate our American guts.  Take a guess at how much of our tax dollars we send away.  Go ahead.

Now I'll get back to that, but let's think about the Ethan's of our country.  This young boy's family could be facing medical bills of $1,000,000.  Think about that.  Where does the money go?  Well, you have to make lots of $ if you are a doctor because you have school loans, malpractice insurance, and so on.  Nurses, aides, medicine, etc.  And if it's a private hospital you have to feed the bottom line.  So it adds up.  I got it. So, a million dollars is the price to save this young boy's precious life.  That the price of his life.

Now back to what we throw away.  It's over $37,000,000,000.  That's thirty-seven billion dollars.  That one million to save poor Ethan is .00002703% of the foreign aid we piss away.  Sorry for the term, but this stuff makes me angry, and it should make you angry, too.  That's our money.  Shouldn't we be spending it on AMERICANS?

Check out Ethan's story and his picture here: file:///C:/Users/Owner/Desktop/Vero%20Beach%20boy,%207,%20in%20need%20of%20heart%20transplant%20%C2%BB%20TCPalm.com.htm

According to the story you can donate to:
Mail: Send to Children’s Organ Transplant Association, 2501 West COTA Drive, Bloomington, IN 47403. All donations are tax-deductible. Checks should be made payable to Children’s Organ Transplant Association with “In Honor of Team Ethan H” written on the memo line.

Ode to Warren Buffett

The odds were long
The brackets were tough
But I thought I knew
A lot about the stuff

What would I do
With all that money
A billion buys
Lots of milk and honey

So I'd buy
A fancy Land Rover
And take a trip
To the cliffs of Dover

Then I'd buy a house
With lots of land
Some where on the beach
Surrounded by sand

I'd buy my girls
Lots of bling
And for my wife
A 20 carat diamond ring

Maybe buy myself
A baseball team
I'd bat lead off
Livin' the dream

Yes a billion
Goes a long way
I could spend a million
Just about every day

But here's the thing
You got to play to win
So I made my picks
And gave it a spin

Then they played
I picked Duke
When I saw the score
I wanted to puke

Good bye house
And fancy cars
And living life
Like those Hollywood stars

But I'm still happy
Cause like Ben Franklin said
I'm still here
I ain't dead

So thanks Mr. B
You can keep your cash
Keep on keepin' large
Counting your stash

Nobody won
That's no shock
You had it all along
It was a lock

The odds it seems
Were trillions to one
But what the heck
It was still lots of fun!

So I haven't been back for a while, but lately my mind has turned toward 2016.  Yes, the next election.  I don't think James Madison or George Washington or Abraham Lincoln will be on the ballot, and probably not John Quincy Adams or FDR.  We just don't have those types of leaders any more, or for that matter those kinds of brilliant political thinkers.  So, what will we get?  Or better yet, what do we need?  It came to mind that what we need is Vladimir Putin!!!  What?  Yep, Mr. KGB himself.  The Crimea land grabber. No, I'm not kidding.  I was having a discussion with my neighbor the other day and we hit on one important aspect of the Crimea showdown.  Well, not exactly a showdown or a standoff.  More like what a real leader does, not what we presently have in the White House.  I don't mean we need a Russian agent, but what we do need is strong leadership.  Let's remember, Putin came to power in a Russia that was down on it's knees. He knew that the only way to bring it back was to act without fear.  He could care less what the rest of the world thinks.  He has done what he thinks, and knows, his people want.  The Crimea's population is vastly of Russian ancestry, they think Russian, call themselves Russian.  They were in no mood for Western democracy.  The "revolution" in the Ukraine was not to their liking.  Putin merely took advantage of the situation, "protecting" the pro-Russian population.  Now, let's go back in history a bit.  You may claim that Hitler entered Austria under the same disguise of protecting the German heritage of the population.  Okay, fair enough.  Back further.  Texas.  Do you know why I mention Texas?  We, that is the US, land grabbed Texas from Mexico to protect the so called Americans.  Andrew Jackson disregarded orders and land grabbed Florida from Spain.    Ancient history.  Hey some might say that Lincoln land grabbed the Confederacy, but that's another story all together.  But you have to give props to Putin since his land grab was done without a single dead body, or at least as far as we know.

Now, what might we do to punish the Russians?  Hey, I have an idea!  Let's go to Alaska and grab it from...oh, never mind.

It's just plain silly to think that Putin cares one iota what sanctions are leveled against him and his country. He knows that Europe depends on Russia for raw materials.  He was smart enough to land grab to the west.
Don't go east Vlad, that's China over there and among other things you don't want to steal from the Chinese.

So, except for the need for new maps, does it make much of a difference that Crimea is now part of Russia? He faced down the rest of the world and it looks like he's won.

We used to have that kind of strong presence in the White House.  I don't think Putin would have messed with Reagan.  And remember that Kennedy faced down Nakita over Cuba.  Nobody messed with Ike or Truman.  And we didn't need weapons to show our strength.  We needed strong leadership.  We have nothing to fear but fear itself.

The downfall of our nation is the lack of spirit.  The lack of leadership.  The lack of will.  It comes from the top down.  Weakness at the top, like a roof full of holes, causes the house  to crumble.

To all my Facebook friends are relatives:  Clearly Mr. Snowden has touched a nerve.  The US is hot on his trail.  Why?  Aren't we all obliged to reveal actions that may cause harm to others?  Take for instance the post WWII convictions of Nazis who claimed they were only following orders.  That was insufficient defense.  Now we learn that not only does the Fed feel it necessary to defend the citizens of our country against those who would destroy our way of life (?) but also uses outsourcing to do so.  BenjaminFranklin stated that those who would surrender their rights in order to be safe don't deserve either rights or safety (paraphrase). Remember that Snowden worked for a private company, not the Fed.  He was given top security clearance (?).  Our tax dollars paid Mr. Snowden and the company he worked for.  He didn't just sit there and blindly accept that his employers were doing harm to Americans.  He did not follow orders, instead he manned up.  Now we demand that the Chinese, who we are spying on, turn him over.  Then we demand that the Russians turn him over.  Surely there is no way he would ever gain his freedom, or possibly, his life ever again.  The NSA actions clearly violate the 4th Amendment in assuming that we are ALL guilty of something or else why are they listening?  Obama laughingly says the government is not listening.  Of course he can lie since it is the private corporations such as Booz, Google, Yahoo, Facebook (yes), et al that are doing it for the Fed.  Plus the US and Great Britain have agreements which circumvent the laws of each country and allow spying reciprocally.  
WAIT, who is that knocking on my door?  
OH, Freedom of speech?  Unless someone thinks otherwise.
UH OH, who just checked my FB page?
UM, why is my online banking...

I'M MAD AS HELL AND...

It no longer matters whether you are Democrat or Republican.  We tend to forget that both political parties are private entities that exist to get their candidate elected.  Neither party exists for the benefit of the constituents that their candidate purports to represent.  We lost representation long ago.  Perhaps it was when the number of representatives in the House was cut off at it's present level rather than expand to fit the population.  Or maybe it was when Senators were handed over to popular vote rather than being responsible, and chosen, by state legislators to whom they would directly report.  Or maybe it was when corporations were designated as though they are individuals given equal status to an American voter.  I have said this over and over and it is more true than ever, "This is not the America I grew up in."  It has been handed over to corporate liars, cheaters, scammers, banks that are too big to fail, the NSA, and on and on.  My despair for the future I hand directly to Mr. Obama in whom I saw so much promise that I voted for him twice.  He has disappointed me to the point that for the first time in my life I am considering never voting again.  He was sworn in to uphold the Constitution.  He has supported domestic spying, claiming it has saved lives.  This is a pitiful attempt to gain support for a policy that is at the very least unconstitutional and as a Constitutional lawyer he knows this is a smoke screen that we should not fall for.  He wants to send arms to Syrian rebels while we still have Americans in need of aid after hurricanes, floods, tornadoes, etc.  WHY?  Keep the money you would spend on aiding people around the world who hate our guts and SPEND IT ON AMERICANS WHOSE MONEY IT IS IN THE FIRST PLACE!!!  My goodness, what are they thinking????  Had Obama spoken the truth prior to the election I never would have voted for him, or probably not voted at all.  Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, well the Dems, whom I've supported since first voting for Hubert Humphrey back in the day, can kiss my, er kiss my vote goodbye.  

I wonder...do those who believe that evolution is a liberal myth ever look at the world and see it as it is, or just how they think it should be.  Do they ever walk on the beach and truly think it's just a few thousand years old?  Do they think those huge bones on display at the Franklin Institute are from some sort of steroid induced chicken?  Do they think that if you think evolution is a fact that you don't believe in some higher power?  Or is it just that you MUST think the way they think or else you are just a gay supporting, liberal, Obama supporting freeloader abortionist?  What ever happened to using one's brain?

The NRA promotes the idea that if everyone is armed then everyone would be safe.  So, if this little old lady in line at Walmart pushes her cart into your butt you just empty a couple of rounds in her face.  There are far too many people in our society that are on the edge, and arming them is ultra dangerous.  What we need is serious regulation.  I don't believe that your average citizen should be permitted to carry a weapon, period.  And our DC politicians need to read Federalist Papers #29 which is Alexander Hamilton explaining the thinking behind the Second Amendment.  The intent was not to arm the citizenry but rather to arm a militia in time of need.  The NRA has, in recent years, distorted the intent on the Founding Fathers.

Teachers with guns???

My daughter is about to enter 9th grade in high school.  If her teachers were permitted to have access to a weapon I would home school her.  I don't believe that this is something any civilized people would allow.  Does anyone really believe that a person out for revenge would even think twice just because a teacher may have a weapon?  Does that stop anyone?  Haven't we learned that even the threat of the death penalty does not inhibit a killer?  How about just having a trained officer at every school?  We have one at the local middle school even in our sleepy town.  This makes sense, as he is trained to handle any type of crisis.  Teachers have enough to do, and are under enough pressure, without having to worry about anything as preposterous as this.

It always surprises me when we as Americans react with shock when countries and regimes such as Iran and North Korea threaten us with their nuclear arsenal.  Look at a map of the world and it will reduce your amazement.  These two in particular are not in the most comfortable position.  But let's take the latest threat from NK.  First of all, they are now led by the third generation Kim dictatorship.  But he is under thirty years old and being, supposedly, under the influence of his military and trying to establish his own credentials.  What better way than to threaten war with South Korea and the US?  That's the easy part, be a bully who threatens another (US) bully.  The problem for Kim is how to get out of this and what to get out of it.  If you make these threats you better have some way to back it up or you lose credibility with your own military.  So, with the war games in South Korea and the US flying overhead he waves the nukes in our face.  But there is surely more to come.  I don't think an all out war is too likely, but a skirmish off some small island just to show they mean business is a distinct possibility.  Then there is the second possibility for Kim, which is to untie the noose around NK's neck.  They can not do business with any nation other than China and Iran.  Forget Iran.  But China has a common border and fears a huge influx of refugees should a hot war begin.  That would be the camel that breaks China's back as they don't exactly relish the idea of feeding millions of starving North Koreans.  The NK regime is basically surrounded and their only weapon is nuclear.  Our allies in South Korea and Japan will not tolerate more threats and military gesturing without having the ability to not only defend themselves but also the support of the United States, the UN, and the rest of the world community.  The last thing the US needs is another Iraq.  So in my opinion the best thing we can do is see this as something to not exactly ignore, but to remain calm politically, not to threaten back, and for China to step up their political and financial pressure on the NK.  Having been to the north of China, Shenyang to be exact, I know personally how close to the situation the citizens of this area are, and how they must be threatened by the fear of a mass influx from NK.  Calm heads on this side of the fence are needed.  The NKs need the outside world.  They need food.  They need money.  They don't know how to get it other than how they have proceeded since the end of World War II and the Korean War.  They have built up the weapons while their people are starving.  How long can this last without the end of this 60 year stalemate?  We all hope that it ends soon and peacefully.

Hall of Fame voters turn away!

Here's an interesting(?) comparison.  Two great pitchers from age 31:

Age 31   9-7   2.85   3-1   1.73
Age 32 10-5   4.18  16-11 1.72
Age 33 10-13 3.63  27-14 1.91
Age 34 21-7   2.05  15-13 3.39
Age 35 20-6   2.65  16-13 3.63
Age 36 14-10 4.60  22-12 3.19
Age 37 13-8   3.70  12-5  3.03
Age 38 20-3   3.51  15-11 3.39
Age 39 13-6   4.35  12-10 3.05
Age 40 17-9   3.91  21-10 2.52
Age 41 18-4   2.98  16-9   3.36
Age 42 13-8   1.87  9-8     3.89

Pitcher A won 178 games post age 31 with an uptick at age 34 and age 38.  Pitcher B won 184 games post age 31 with three bumps at ages 33, 36, and amazingly at age 40.  Both were considered washed up at least twice in their careers, A at ages 33 and 40 and B at ages 31 and 39.  One is in the Hall of Fame, the other cast aside due to questions about how he could maintain his ability at an age when most power hurlers are done.

A is our friend Roger Clemens.
Can you guess B?  His wins by age 30 are 190, with a 94-35 record from ages 28 to 30.

If you guessed Grover Cleveland the 22nd and 24th POTUS you are wrong.  If you guessed Grover Cleveland "Pete" Alexander you are CORRECT!!!

Pete was considered washed up after he was gassed during service in WWI.  The Sillies, er Phillies, dumped him off to the unwitting Cubs along with his batterymate Bill Killefer for two future greats: Pickles Dillhoefer (get the nickname?) and Mike Prendergast.  Oh, and a cool $50,000.  Pete was far from washed up, though he struggled with the bottle as is well known.  Plus he had numerous other health issues.  He was elected in 1938 (HOF not POTUS!) on 212 0f 262 ballots.  I doubt that anyone questioned those career bumps.

We live in a different and much more suspicious time.  I'm not pro or con Clemens, just pointing out that if the only reason Clemens is not voted in are his numbers late in his career, then that is bogus.  It does happen, and Ol'Pete is just one example.

The headlines are filled with the likes of Lance Armstrong, Manti Te'o, gun control, people pushed into subway trains, and Honey Boo Boo. It reminds me of how important it is for parents to be role models for their kids. Not just role models, but the best role models we can possibly be. I am repulsed by the Armstrong getting so much attention by being on Oprah to tell the world that he's a liar and despicable man. Hey, go away dude. Some place where we never have to see or hear from you again. It's time that parents, all parents, teach our kids that athletes are not great role models, at least most of them. To get to the top they, like Donald Trump and every other "financial wizard," had to push everyone out of the way. Trample friend and foe under foot to get there. Lie, cheat, and steal. Not that every jock is a creep, hardly, but as role models they leave much to be desired. Want a role model? Read about John Quincy Adams. In fact, read about John Adams, Abigail Adams, Henry Adams, and the entire Adams family. They are true role models.

Today's Baseball Hall of Fame announcement raised many questions. One was that some players knew of the cheating by Bonds, Clemens, etc and said nothing. I can't go along with the "said nothing" because sports at any level just doesn't lend itself to exposing a fellow athlete. Lance Armstrong is just one example. Next, "said nothing" really does not apply because there was no testing for most of the time that Bonds, Clemens, et al played. No testing, no penalty, no nothing. Next, baseball in general, owners and players and stadium workers and EVERYONE benefited when McGwire, Sosa, Bonds, Clemens and who knows who else brought a new level of HR records and Cy Young awards to the game. Blind eye! So, though they were never accused nor was there ever a sniff of guilt, the likes of Biggio, Bagwell, and Piazza did not gain entry because of some suspicion or rumor of use, or in your thinking because they knew what was going on. It reminds me of going through an airport. TSA assumes everyone is guilty because of 9/11. Have we forgotten innocent until proven guilty? True these are ballplayers, but Congress chose to indict and foolishly threw away tax payer money and in addition, without naming names, cast a shadow of doubt over every player from that era. Just not fair. My last argument has to do with PEDs. What exactly is a Performance Enhancing Drug? If Barry Bonds twisted his ankle and got a Novocaine shot so he could perform, isn't that a PED? Where do we draw the line? If you wake up with a severe headache and take a few Advil so that you can do your job, haven't you enhanced your performance? I won't even go into Viagra! I'm not in favor of just allowing Bonds et al into the HOF carte blanche. Some determination makes sense as far as acknowledging the era. But unless they are proven to have cheated then the likes of Biggio and Bagwell and Piazza should be enshrined without an asterix. Let's not even go into "integrity." Do some reading on Cap Anson, Charlie Radbourn, Ty Cobb and many others already enshrined. Not good example of "integrity", to say the least.

• Recommended reading: "George Washington" by Ron Chernow; also by Chernow "Alexander Hamilton;" Harlow Unger's "James Monroe;" also by Unger "John Quincy Adams;" Kevin Gutzman "James Madison and the Making of America." Two volumes on the life of Thomas Jefferson by Alf Mapp. Read "THe Federalist Papers" to get a full eyewitness account into the Constitution. Especially important is the account by Madison in #10 as to freedom of Religion and #29 by Hamilton on the meaning of the Right to Bear Arms. Politics in the 18th and 19th Centuries was quite as contentious as it is today. The battle ro ratify the Constitution was down and dirty and makes "Liberty's Blueprint" by Michael Meyerson a good read.

  
  
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"Guns don't kill people, people kill people."

Heard that one before?

Okay, well I know that David slew Goliath with a sling shot and a rock.  But I'm hard pressed to think of another example of rock vs. human.  And for the life of me I cannot think of another killing involving a fork or a rolled up newspaper or a Christmas tree.

But let's ask these folks what they think about the issue:

Abraham Lincoln
Alexander Hamilton
James Garfield
William McKinley
John F. Kennedy
Martin Luther King
Robert Kennedy
John Lennon
Charlotte Bacon, 2/22/06
Daniel Barden, 9/25/05
Rachel Davino
Olivia Engel, 7/18/06
Josephine Gay, 12/11/05
Ana M. Marquez-Greene, 04/04/06
Dylan Hockley, 3/8/06
Dawn Hochsprung
Madeleine F. Hsu, 7/10/06
Catherine V. Hubbard, 6/08/06
Chase Kowalski, 10/31/05
Jesse Lewis, 6/30/06
James Mattioli , 3/22/06
Grace McDonnell, 12/04/05
Anne Marie Murphy
Emilie Parker, 5/12/06
Jack Pinto, 5/06/06
Noah Pozner, 11/20/06
Caroline Previdi, 9/07/06
Jessica Rekos, 5/10/06
Avielle Richman, 10/17/06
Lauren Russeau
Mary Sherlach
Victoria Soto
Benjamin Wheeler, 9/12/06
Allison N. Wyatt, 7/03/06

What's that you say?

So today is 12-22-12.  Below is a story of the Old World known as Earth I. That world ended yesterday if you didn't notice.  I did.  And I'm sure many of you did, too.  So, please remember the new rules of Earth II:

I. Be kind to everyone, even your waitress and the greeter at Walmart.
II. Hug your kids at least 5 times a day and check their homework.  
III. Take an opportunity at least twice a day to make someone else smile
IV. Remember RAOK (Random acts of kindness) 
V. Do unto others as you would have them do unto you

Thus there is no need for guns or the NRA.  Obama and the Republicans will hug.  Trump will stop talking and get a haircut.  Murdoch will give ALL of his $ to Operation Smile.  Lindsay Lohan will join a convent.  Honey Boo Boo and her mother will go vegan.  The Cubs will win the World Series. Mahmoud Ahmadinejad will  rent a nice summer cottage in Miami next door to Benjamin Netanyahu and they'll play pinochle every night for Hanukkah gelt.  Apple and Samsung will make nice and give away free computers to everyone in the new world.  Arabs and Palestinians and Israelis will join hands and sing IMAGINE, GIVE PEACE A CHANCE, and ALL YOU NEED IS LOVE! 

Let's make it happen...TODAY!!!

http://www.philly.com/philly/news/breaking/20121221_World_War_II_survivor_of_a_dark_day.html#recent_comm

Armed, dangerous, and unaware

The NRA defends it's stance by quoting the Second Amendment.  I would advise them to read Alexander Hamilton's analysis in Federalist #29.  The intent, following the Revolutionary War, was how to protect the State (meaning a state such as NY, not the US as a whole) from foreign incursion.  It is important to remember that when the Amendment was written the US had no standing army due to fears of a potential monarchy subsidized by a strong military alliance.  Thus the need for local militia for protection. Militias were local, and the need was there for them to be trained to be ready at any time for service.  Thus they needed to be armed as well as ready.  The Amendment is written as one function, the need for armed militia.  If there were two separate functions it would have been written thus: "A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, [AND] the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed."  The Amendment read in conjunction with Federalist #29 is clear.  Hamilton's analysis was used to limit gun rights right through until 1939, when the Supreme Court heard a gun case, but not until 2008 were the limits removed. Claiming the right to own weapons as a Constitutional right is in error.  The right came directly from a conservative Supreme Court which used their authority to usurp the Constitution and become legislators rather than judges.  

OUCH!

Many things on the conservative agenda strike me as not only odd but also un-American.  First, abortion rights.  If Roe v Wade is overturned it will give the Fed control of American women's bodies.  I do not condone abortion.  But I do think that those who cry out for less government need to understand where this may possibly lead.  Beside the obvious illegal abortions, what about men?  Men are half of the story, correct?  Women are not asexual.  They need a partner in order to become pregnant.  Who is to say that vasectomy may be next?  If the Fed can control a woman's body, why not a man's?  Perhaps those crusty old men on the religious right might think twice about limiting a woman's right to control her own body if there's was also controlled.  Is this far fetched?  Not at all when there is talk of involuntary vasectomy for rapists.  Once the Fed steps into this area there will be no stopping them.  

A reminder to the far right Tea Party.  Someone once said, "One thing you lack," he said. "Go, sell everything you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.” 

John Quincy Adams

If you are sick and tired of Washington and the lack of concern for the real issues rather than attacks, you really should read Harlow Unger's biography of John Quincy Adams. JQA gets short changed by historians, but we really need someone like him to lead our country. He was a man of principles, did not give in to the worst of politics, never sought office but was often chosen, fought against slavery and nullification, helped establish the Smithsonian Institution, and was without doubt our greatest and most qualified Secretary of State. His career extended from watching the battle at Bunker Hill with his mother at age seven, to passing away on the floor of Congress at age 80.  He was ambassador to Russia among other European nations.  As Secretary of State under James Monroe he initiated what became the Monroe Doctrine.  He and his father, the second president, were the only two non-Virginians to win the presidency and the only two to serve only one term among the first six elected to office.  Adams antagonized every president from Jefferson to Monroe to Jackson, to varying degrees, but Jackson led to his failure as chief executive.  But JQA rebounded by becoming a man of the people while serving in Congress.  Sadly, he is forgotten and usually ranked with the worst of presidents, well deserved.  Greatly misunderstood, hopefully others will reassess Adams through Unger's book.

Monday morning quarterbacks

The Monday morning political analysts are hurling barbs at BHO, and partially they are correct. He was a somnambulist on stage and didn't come off as the orator we are used to. But, isn't it easier for Romney to be critical of the POTUS who has been there than it is for the incumbent to defend himself. After all, Obama has tried and the Repubs from day one have undermined him every step of the way. So Romney lies his way through the debate and just because he seems chippie they claim him the winner. Well, when you are the POTUS you have more on your mind than a debate, or you should. And it's much easier for Romney to throw crap against the wall that nobody will remember just a month from now. Hopefully the American voters will READ the debate rather than judge by the TV version. The debate reminded me of the little drops of sweat on Nixon's upper lip during the Kennedy debates in 1960. Yes, I do remember that and many people believed that was a sign that Nixon wasn't quite presidential enough. They later changed their minds but that's another story. So, as I told my daughter Anna, don't just watch them, read them. And remember that it's easier to be on the offense when you have nothing to lose.

A sandwich with just bread

Does a debate without any real meat persuade anyone to vote for either candidate? Romney completely threw his campaign speeches under the bus. Obama was lackluster and looked as though he would rather have been having a 20th anniversary dinner with the Mrs. But in the long run, to me, it shows how our system no longer works. Two candidates is just not enough to choose from. There was no real concrete difference between the two of them because all we heard were empty words. Ugh.