I always wanted a warm, or a relatively warm December 15th to celebrate Pekoe's birthday. Here in DC that's not a stretch. Over the years there have been days here in which DC has been bitterly cold, or in the 70's. I wanted Pekoe's birthday to fall on a warm day because of some of the things I wanted to do for him. I wanted to take him for a long walk. I wanted wanted to take him somewhere he could splash in the water. I wanted to get him a good steak. Most of all, I wanted to put the top down and take him on a long drive.
Today was such a day. I think it hit 67. Today was a perfect day for Pekoe's birthday. It turned out to be anything but perfect.
Pekoe had been having leg problems. By Saturday night, it had become really tough for him to get up and down stairs. By Sunday evening he was only walking, if you wanted to call it that, on the front legs and rear right leg. On Sunday night, the Vet was obviously closed. I did some research on the net. Turns out dogs can take buffered aspirin. We gave Pekoe the buffered aspirin, along with a peanut butter sandwhich, thinking that he only had a hip dysplasia problem. We put a blanket on him to keep him warm. I slept on the couch next to his bed so he wouldn't try to go up the stairs.
He had slept well. By morning, the swelling seemed to go down a bit. He got up and managed to hobble outside to do his business. We had to help him back in the house because he couldn't make it up the kitchen deck stairs. He ate breakfast and climbed back in his bed.
The Vet called and said they could see him at 10:00am. We used his bed sheet to lift him on to a blanket, and then out of the house and into the car.
From there it was all down hill.
The took a series of x-rays. It wasn't hip dysplasia. Pekoe had a fractured hip. The bone had been weakened by cancer. Further, he wasn't feeling anything in the leg because between the hip fracture had led to break in his sciatic nerve. The doctor went on to say that there was no way to tell ho far or how fast the cancer had spread or was spreading. The only certainty was that Pekoe was dying of bone cancer.
I just hope you don't ever have to make a decision to put your pet down on his birthday.
I live in a quiet neighborhood. I think I have a quiet home. But when I got home it was the wrong kind of quiet. You could always hear Pekoe barking as soon as the car pulled up. It I came in from the garage, I could hear him pacing in the kitchen. I could hear him breathing. I could hear him snoring. And if he wanted to go outside, I could hear him barking.
I sit here now trying to write this blog. Ordinarily, Pekoe would be interrupting me right now to take him on his evening stroll. Now nothing. This is the wrong kind of quiet.
Pekoe the Wonder Dog, December 15, 1996 to December 15, 2008.
Monday, December 15, 2008
Monday, December 8, 2008
What are These Guys Doing Here?
I'm still trying to get my head around why Ford, Chrysler, and GM are coming here looking for "lines of credit" from the Federal Government...other than the fact that Wall Street won't back them.
Why is Detroit in trouble? I don't think it's necessarily the product. Dependning on who you talk to, the so-called "Big Three" make cars that pound for pound match anything made my Mercedes, or BMW, or Toyota, or Nissan, or any other manufacturer. Indeed American were honored as some of the best made cars and trucks in the world.
While a compelling argument can be made that some of the CEOs at American car makers are not as well educated as some of the CEOs at foreign (headquartered) car makers, the men at the helm of GM, and Chrysler, and Ford aren't ignorant. Academically, these are accomplished men, holding a wealth or corporate leadership and managment experience.
Is it the fact that people can't get financing for a car loan? No, I don't think so. I do think people were worried about the economy and they decided to forgo descretionary purchases like a new car. This and climbing oil prices of the last few months.
I also don't think unions, pension costs, and auto worker healthcare costs were the problem. Possibly one could argue, rather convincingly, that these elements, combined with the rapid rise in oil prices earlier this year, could be the "proximate cause" of the financial problems Detroit suffers. Another proximate cause would definitely be the demand, the the fufillment of demand, for SUVs.
But these challenges are what managers manage. If these challenges were not managed, was there a failure in the management of the automakers?
I haven't figured exactly what the problem is that led Detroit to this point. I do want to spend some time studying the Ford, GM, and Chrysler business models. In the meantime, while I'm not sure I'm 100% in favor of a bailout, If Congress does provide emergency short-term funding, they are 100% right to demand to see their plans as to how they will make their respective companies profitable, as well as how they plan to pay any moneis borrowed back.
Why is Detroit in trouble? I don't think it's necessarily the product. Dependning on who you talk to, the so-called "Big Three" make cars that pound for pound match anything made my Mercedes, or BMW, or Toyota, or Nissan, or any other manufacturer. Indeed American were honored as some of the best made cars and trucks in the world.
While a compelling argument can be made that some of the CEOs at American car makers are not as well educated as some of the CEOs at foreign (headquartered) car makers, the men at the helm of GM, and Chrysler, and Ford aren't ignorant. Academically, these are accomplished men, holding a wealth or corporate leadership and managment experience.
Is it the fact that people can't get financing for a car loan? No, I don't think so. I do think people were worried about the economy and they decided to forgo descretionary purchases like a new car. This and climbing oil prices of the last few months.
I also don't think unions, pension costs, and auto worker healthcare costs were the problem. Possibly one could argue, rather convincingly, that these elements, combined with the rapid rise in oil prices earlier this year, could be the "proximate cause" of the financial problems Detroit suffers. Another proximate cause would definitely be the demand, the the fufillment of demand, for SUVs.
But these challenges are what managers manage. If these challenges were not managed, was there a failure in the management of the automakers?
I haven't figured exactly what the problem is that led Detroit to this point. I do want to spend some time studying the Ford, GM, and Chrysler business models. In the meantime, while I'm not sure I'm 100% in favor of a bailout, If Congress does provide emergency short-term funding, they are 100% right to demand to see their plans as to how they will make their respective companies profitable, as well as how they plan to pay any moneis borrowed back.
Sunday, December 7, 2008
Sunday, December 7th, The Way it Was
On Sunday, December 7, 1941, Japanese armed forces attacked the U.S. Navy Base at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii.
Saturday, December 6, 2008
Barack Obama, American Citizenship, the Supreme Court, and the Lunatic Fringe
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
United States Senator Barack Obama (D-IL), President-Elect of the United States of the United States of America ("POTUS"), was born in the State of Hawaii on August 4, 1961, almost 2 years after Hawaii entered the Union. Given his age, place of birth, i.e., the United States ("U.S."), and the number of years he has resided in the U.S., Senator Obama passes all the constitutional requirements to "...be eligible to the Office of President." Given the number of electoral votes secured by the Senator on November 4, 2008, Mr. Obama should be officially elected POTUS when the Electoral College meets on December 15, 2008.
************************************************************************************
I've seen posts over the last 6 months on YouTube and various and sundry blogs and websites claiming, amongst other things, that Barack Obama can not be president because he is not an American citizen. Given all the pre-election drama, common sense should tell anyone that if this were true, someone would have caught Obama's ineligibility during the primary. However, this is part of the charm, and problem, with the lunatic fringe. After all why should common sense get in the way of a good conspiracy?
Now there's nothing I love better than a good tale. But let's look at the facts, let's look and the law, and let's apply the the law to the facts. Perhaps then, we can arrive at reason.
Facts:
1. Hawaii entered the Union in August of 1959. In other words, Hawaii is one of the states of the United Sates of America.
2. Barack Obama was born in Hawaii on August 4, 1961. So Obama was born in the United States. The State of Hawaii has a birth certificate attesting to this fact. http://www.factcheck.org/elections-2008/born_in_the_usa.html.
3. At the time of the 2008 national election, Senator Barack Obama was 47 years of age. He will still be 47 when the Electoral College meets on December 15, 2008.
4. As a boy Barack Obama spent a portion of his life in Indonesia. However from 1971 on, he spent his life in the United States.
The Law:
Article II, Section 1 of the U.S. Constitution reads as follows:
"No person except a natural born Citizen, or a Citizen of the United States, at the time of the Adoption of this Constitution, shall be eligible to the Office of President; neither shall any Person be eligible to that Office who shall not have attained to the Age of thirty-five Years, and been fourteen Years a Resident within the United States."
The Law as Applied to the Facts:
1. Barack Obama was a natural born citizen in Hawaii, well after Hawaii became part of the Union.
2. According to the Constitution, a valid candidate for the presidency must be 35. Senator Obama was 47 at the time of the election.
3. The Constitution requires that a viable candidate for president must have lived in the U.S. for 14 years. From 1971 until today, a period of 37 years, Senator Obama has lived in the U.S.
According to ALL the requirements of the Constitution of the United States, Senator Obama is qualified to be sworn in as president on January 20, 2008.
There you are. The facts, the law, and the law applied to the facts. While this is not a legal brief, the facts and the law speak for themselves. Everything else, i.e., allegations of faked/forged birth certificates, Obama's Moslem father, or his father's Kenyan heritage, or his father's British citizenship, allegations of Soviet or Mo sad or AlQaeda brainwashing while Obama lived in Indonesia, etc. is just stuff and nonsense; the fodder for a bad novel. But the stuff of bad novels, i.e., alien abductions, covert brainwashing, international intrigue, a presidential sleeper agent in the White House, is just the ticket for the lunatic fringe!
There are those out there who have taken the "Obama Conspiracy" past the point of the Net. They have filed petitions courts to hear their "Nobama" arguments. Because they seek an answer to a constitutional question, that of whether and individual is eligible to be POTUS, constitutional issue must be decided by the Supreme Court, that is of course, should the Supreme Court choose to hear this question. They won't. Trust me. Why? There is no basis in fact or in law for this argument. Won't matter to the lunatic fringe though. They don't care about facts. They are hard wired to believe what they believe and that's it. The flat out refuse to see facts.(http://www.salon.com/news/feature/2008/12/05/birth_certificate/) It's a shame.
I think that the next 25 years will be tough for our country. Can we pull through it? Sure. But it's going to take each and every one of living in reality, working, and thinking. This can't happen if we choose to follow flights of fancy.
On January 20, 2009 Barack Obama will be sworn in as president. Will this usher in a era of sweetness and light. Of course not! As a nation we will have economic issues to confront, a war in Aghanistan, the management of an Iraqi troop draw-down, securing our borders, the posibility of a new cold war, and so on. This will time time and work. There is a need for everyone to be part of the solution. We can only hope that time will correct the vision of those that, well, have a seeing problem.
United States Senator Barack Obama (D-IL), President-Elect of the United States of the United States of America ("POTUS"), was born in the State of Hawaii on August 4, 1961, almost 2 years after Hawaii entered the Union. Given his age, place of birth, i.e., the United States ("U.S."), and the number of years he has resided in the U.S., Senator Obama passes all the constitutional requirements to "...be eligible to the Office of President." Given the number of electoral votes secured by the Senator on November 4, 2008, Mr. Obama should be officially elected POTUS when the Electoral College meets on December 15, 2008.
************************************************************************************
I've seen posts over the last 6 months on YouTube and various and sundry blogs and websites claiming, amongst other things, that Barack Obama can not be president because he is not an American citizen. Given all the pre-election drama, common sense should tell anyone that if this were true, someone would have caught Obama's ineligibility during the primary. However, this is part of the charm, and problem, with the lunatic fringe. After all why should common sense get in the way of a good conspiracy?
Now there's nothing I love better than a good tale. But let's look at the facts, let's look and the law, and let's apply the the law to the facts. Perhaps then, we can arrive at reason.
Facts:
1. Hawaii entered the Union in August of 1959. In other words, Hawaii is one of the states of the United Sates of America.
2. Barack Obama was born in Hawaii on August 4, 1961. So Obama was born in the United States. The State of Hawaii has a birth certificate attesting to this fact. http://www.factcheck.org/elections-2008/born_in_the_usa.html.
3. At the time of the 2008 national election, Senator Barack Obama was 47 years of age. He will still be 47 when the Electoral College meets on December 15, 2008.
4. As a boy Barack Obama spent a portion of his life in Indonesia. However from 1971 on, he spent his life in the United States.
The Law:
Article II, Section 1 of the U.S. Constitution reads as follows:
"No person except a natural born Citizen, or a Citizen of the United States, at the time of the Adoption of this Constitution, shall be eligible to the Office of President; neither shall any Person be eligible to that Office who shall not have attained to the Age of thirty-five Years, and been fourteen Years a Resident within the United States."
The Law as Applied to the Facts:
1. Barack Obama was a natural born citizen in Hawaii, well after Hawaii became part of the Union.
2. According to the Constitution, a valid candidate for the presidency must be 35. Senator Obama was 47 at the time of the election.
3. The Constitution requires that a viable candidate for president must have lived in the U.S. for 14 years. From 1971 until today, a period of 37 years, Senator Obama has lived in the U.S.
According to ALL the requirements of the Constitution of the United States, Senator Obama is qualified to be sworn in as president on January 20, 2008.
There you are. The facts, the law, and the law applied to the facts. While this is not a legal brief, the facts and the law speak for themselves. Everything else, i.e., allegations of faked/forged birth certificates, Obama's Moslem father, or his father's Kenyan heritage, or his father's British citizenship, allegations of Soviet or Mo sad or AlQaeda brainwashing while Obama lived in Indonesia, etc. is just stuff and nonsense; the fodder for a bad novel. But the stuff of bad novels, i.e., alien abductions, covert brainwashing, international intrigue, a presidential sleeper agent in the White House, is just the ticket for the lunatic fringe!
There are those out there who have taken the "Obama Conspiracy" past the point of the Net. They have filed petitions courts to hear their "Nobama" arguments. Because they seek an answer to a constitutional question, that of whether and individual is eligible to be POTUS, constitutional issue must be decided by the Supreme Court, that is of course, should the Supreme Court choose to hear this question. They won't. Trust me. Why? There is no basis in fact or in law for this argument. Won't matter to the lunatic fringe though. They don't care about facts. They are hard wired to believe what they believe and that's it. The flat out refuse to see facts.(http://www.salon.com/news/feature/2008/12/05/birth_certificate/) It's a shame.
I think that the next 25 years will be tough for our country. Can we pull through it? Sure. But it's going to take each and every one of living in reality, working, and thinking. This can't happen if we choose to follow flights of fancy.
On January 20, 2009 Barack Obama will be sworn in as president. Will this usher in a era of sweetness and light. Of course not! As a nation we will have economic issues to confront, a war in Aghanistan, the management of an Iraqi troop draw-down, securing our borders, the posibility of a new cold war, and so on. This will time time and work. There is a need for everyone to be part of the solution. We can only hope that time will correct the vision of those that, well, have a seeing problem.
Friday, December 5, 2008
Just You Wait!
The whole purpose of this blog is to talk about living and being in Washington, DC. However, I am itching to write about President Elect-Barack Obama. I have held off because he hasn't been sworn in as POTUS. It has come to my attention that someone plans to file an action to keep Obama from being sworn in because, as they claim, "He is not an American citizen." This claim has stupid written all over it. I won't go in to details now because, frankly, my hands are filled taking care of my dog and I promised to finish a church project.
Just wait until tomorrow. I'll say plenty!
Just wait until tomorrow. I'll say plenty!
Thursday, December 4, 2008
How Things Work...and Why
I firmly believe in reading newspapers. Real newspapers. Not USA Today, but real, honest to goodness newspapers. Why? It's been said, rather accurately, that information is power. Well, how do you get information if you don't read newspapers? Newspapers, good ones, cover it all; art, entertainment, sports, politics, business, and everything else. This is important because if you read closely, carefully, and most importantly, thoughtfully, you can profit by what you read.
Take today. There an article in the Washington Post about Earl Stafford, president of a company called Unitech, a government contractor. It's been a while since I've paid any attention to Unitech. They used to hold a number of Federal Aviation Administration contracts in Washington, D.C. Here's the link:http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/12/03/AR2008120304095.html
It's a nice piece, but also very informative. What Stafford proposes to do is a good thing. As far as I can recall, Stafford is the first to volunteer to raise the funds to provide lodgings and food for physically and mentally challenged Americans; providing them with a "front row seat" for the Inauguration at the Washington Marriott, no less.
I honestly believe Earl Stafford is doing this for the reasons stated in the article; that he is a man driven by a desire to "give back," growing out of his Christian principles. However the Bible talks about doing your good deeds in secret. So why is this story on the front page of the Washington Post? Now, this is why we should read the newspaper, to learn how things work.
As the Post points out, Earl Stafford, smart, savvy, hard working businessman that he is, is still a businessman. A new administration is coming into Washington. No doubt there will be contract opportunities. What better way to garner attention of the incoming Chief Executive and his cabinet heads? There's noting wrong with this. It's public relations.
I wonder if the funds spent to lodge these people, given their handicaps and/or infirmities could qualify as a tax deduction?
If indeed the secondary, or even tertiary goal of Stafford's beneficence is to garner good will with perspective clients, there is another lesson to be learned here. One has to figure a way to get one's name out into the public eye. Stafford's company is billing at $150M. This is chump change for contractors like Lockheed Martin, KBR, and Halliburton. Stafford almost has to do something like this in order to get attention for him, his company, and his foundation.
This is a gamble that took guts. Trying to raise the million to make this happen, and the money spent to generate this PR piece with the Post, is a gamble. Sure if this works, Stafford will get some face time with the new president and he'll get contacts with incoming administration power players. However, this gesture may not necessarily turn into new business. Time will tell. But either way there is a lot to be learned here.
Yes, there is a lot to be said for reading the morning paper.
Take today. There an article in the Washington Post about Earl Stafford, president of a company called Unitech, a government contractor. It's been a while since I've paid any attention to Unitech. They used to hold a number of Federal Aviation Administration contracts in Washington, D.C. Here's the link:http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/12/03/AR2008120304095.html
It's a nice piece, but also very informative. What Stafford proposes to do is a good thing. As far as I can recall, Stafford is the first to volunteer to raise the funds to provide lodgings and food for physically and mentally challenged Americans; providing them with a "front row seat" for the Inauguration at the Washington Marriott, no less.
I honestly believe Earl Stafford is doing this for the reasons stated in the article; that he is a man driven by a desire to "give back," growing out of his Christian principles. However the Bible talks about doing your good deeds in secret. So why is this story on the front page of the Washington Post? Now, this is why we should read the newspaper, to learn how things work.
As the Post points out, Earl Stafford, smart, savvy, hard working businessman that he is, is still a businessman. A new administration is coming into Washington. No doubt there will be contract opportunities. What better way to garner attention of the incoming Chief Executive and his cabinet heads? There's noting wrong with this. It's public relations.
I wonder if the funds spent to lodge these people, given their handicaps and/or infirmities could qualify as a tax deduction?
If indeed the secondary, or even tertiary goal of Stafford's beneficence is to garner good will with perspective clients, there is another lesson to be learned here. One has to figure a way to get one's name out into the public eye. Stafford's company is billing at $150M. This is chump change for contractors like Lockheed Martin, KBR, and Halliburton. Stafford almost has to do something like this in order to get attention for him, his company, and his foundation.
This is a gamble that took guts. Trying to raise the million to make this happen, and the money spent to generate this PR piece with the Post, is a gamble. Sure if this works, Stafford will get some face time with the new president and he'll get contacts with incoming administration power players. However, this gesture may not necessarily turn into new business. Time will tell. But either way there is a lot to be learned here.
Yes, there is a lot to be said for reading the morning paper.
Wednesday, December 3, 2008
Growth as Opposed to Change
I don't know, maybe it's me. Maybe it's just me. I'm tired of the use, or rather the misuse of the word "change." I was tired of the way the word was used to bash Obama an his supporters as being "pie in the sky" dreamers; as if it was somehow childish or immature to expect the formal and informal operations of our government would change under an Obama administration. I was equally tired of the way some Obama supporters used the word. To often, some Democrats looked at the prospect of "change' as something that would happen over night and would be all encompassing.
But "change" can be multi-faceted word. It is a rare word in that it can both convey something simple as in, "Change in weather," or something complex as in, "Change of religious culture."
I voted for Barack Obama and Joe Biden. I'm glad they won. The use of the word "change" is correct in that it indicates a change in presidential administration. However it is totally inadequate in describing what happened on November 4, 2008.
When I was in college I had a part-time job at the National Institutes of Health. I did statistics for the the Nursing Department in the NIH Hospital. The Nursing Department, as I recall, was hosting a conference and they had information packets to put together. To get the job done, they called on hospital volunteers. One of the volunteers was an elderly woman would had grown up in DC. She was easily in her 80s. Talking with her was interesting to say the least. She told stories of a time when the infamous "Tick-Tock Liquors" was a speakeasy, and when University Boulevard and Riggs Road were both dirt roads. She also talked about selling lemonade to marchers in the 1926 Ku Klux Klan Parade in Washington.
Yeah, that's right.
If you research this "parade," you'll learn that there were thousands of Klansmen from all over the U.S. marching in D.C. for this event. In the 1920s, after their rebirth in Indiana, the Klan was a political force to be reckoned with. So much so, that in many parts of the nation, if you sought elected, and you were white, you joined the Klan. Two examples of this are Senator Robert Byrd of West Virginia and President Harry S. Truman. Fast forward to 2008. In 80 years time, basically the span of a life, America didn't just moved from a country that would support a Klan march in the Nation's Capitol, to a mature nation that would elect a man of wit, intelligence, and accomplishement to the White House. regardless of his race. Is this change? To be be sure. But more to the point, this represents growth.
But "change" can be multi-faceted word. It is a rare word in that it can both convey something simple as in, "Change in weather," or something complex as in, "Change of religious culture."
I voted for Barack Obama and Joe Biden. I'm glad they won. The use of the word "change" is correct in that it indicates a change in presidential administration. However it is totally inadequate in describing what happened on November 4, 2008.
When I was in college I had a part-time job at the National Institutes of Health. I did statistics for the the Nursing Department in the NIH Hospital. The Nursing Department, as I recall, was hosting a conference and they had information packets to put together. To get the job done, they called on hospital volunteers. One of the volunteers was an elderly woman would had grown up in DC. She was easily in her 80s. Talking with her was interesting to say the least. She told stories of a time when the infamous "Tick-Tock Liquors" was a speakeasy, and when University Boulevard and Riggs Road were both dirt roads. She also talked about selling lemonade to marchers in the 1926 Ku Klux Klan Parade in Washington.
Yeah, that's right.
If you research this "parade," you'll learn that there were thousands of Klansmen from all over the U.S. marching in D.C. for this event. In the 1920s, after their rebirth in Indiana, the Klan was a political force to be reckoned with. So much so, that in many parts of the nation, if you sought elected, and you were white, you joined the Klan. Two examples of this are Senator Robert Byrd of West Virginia and President Harry S. Truman. Fast forward to 2008. In 80 years time, basically the span of a life, America didn't just moved from a country that would support a Klan march in the Nation's Capitol, to a mature nation that would elect a man of wit, intelligence, and accomplishement to the White House. regardless of his race. Is this change? To be be sure. But more to the point, this represents growth.
Tuesday, December 2, 2008
Connected
It's always fascinated me how people are connected. If you look to the right, you'll find a pic of Eleanor Roosevelt doting over an infant. That infant is the older brother of one of my buds, Scott. I've seen it over the years on a bookcase at Scott's paarent's home. Strange that I should find this pic on the web, but there you are. So, through Scott, and his brother, and his parents, I'm connected to to Eleanor Rooselvelt, and by extension, to Franklin Delano Rooselvelt and Theodore Rooselvelt. I never really thought of it until just now.
But wait, there's more. Scott is a bike courier. He often works on Capitol Hill. Long before Barack Obama ran for president, Scott says he say him crossing the street as the freshman senator. According to Scott, Obama was fiddling with his Blackberry while crossing the street. Like most people in this town, when using a Blackberry or an iPod, they are really not paying attention to anything else. Scott saw the Senator, and more importantly, saw and oncomiing car, and shouted, "Hey, look out!" Obama looks up, sees the car, and backsteps onto the curb. He then turns, looks at Scott, smiles, waves, and shouts back, "Thanks!"
I don't doubt the story. Scott's got no reason to lie. Besides, I've grown up in DC. Depending on where you are, you're likely to see anybody. Personally, on the street, I've seen the Clintons, including Chelsea, Forrest Whittaker, John Malchovich, Larry Bird, Michael Jordon, Mike Wallace, Joe Liberman and his wife, Larry King, John King, Clint Eastwood, and others.
So, again, if you play the "Six Degrees of Separation Game," Theodore Roosevelt, or Booket T. Washington for that matter, are connected to Barack Obama.
Interesting...
But wait, there's more. Scott is a bike courier. He often works on Capitol Hill. Long before Barack Obama ran for president, Scott says he say him crossing the street as the freshman senator. According to Scott, Obama was fiddling with his Blackberry while crossing the street. Like most people in this town, when using a Blackberry or an iPod, they are really not paying attention to anything else. Scott saw the Senator, and more importantly, saw and oncomiing car, and shouted, "Hey, look out!" Obama looks up, sees the car, and backsteps onto the curb. He then turns, looks at Scott, smiles, waves, and shouts back, "Thanks!"
I don't doubt the story. Scott's got no reason to lie. Besides, I've grown up in DC. Depending on where you are, you're likely to see anybody. Personally, on the street, I've seen the Clintons, including Chelsea, Forrest Whittaker, John Malchovich, Larry Bird, Michael Jordon, Mike Wallace, Joe Liberman and his wife, Larry King, John King, Clint Eastwood, and others.
So, again, if you play the "Six Degrees of Separation Game," Theodore Roosevelt, or Booket T. Washington for that matter, are connected to Barack Obama.
Interesting...
Monday, December 1, 2008
If You are Planning to Come to DC for the Inaguration
DC is a wonderful city, easily one of the most beautiful cities on Earth. Everything you want is in the city limits, i.e., art, music, history, good food, great bars, churches, great colleges and universities, shopping, entertainment, wonderful people, great scenery, great parks and trails, and much, much more. Come to Washington! You'll enjoy every moment of your visit. If you want to be here to experience the Obama Inaguration great! Come on! But do me a favor, huh? Plan your trip carefully.
If you have friends here, finding a place on the floor to sleep probably won't be a problem. I stress floor becuase if you have not already planned your trip, chances are others have, so they may have snagged the guest room and/or family room you want. Unless you have deep pockets, you can probably forget about a 3-Star or up hotel room. (And if you do in the middle of this officially declared recession, let's talk.) Do not rent a room in any of the motels on New York Avenue, NE. These are used by prostitutes and tend to be greasy. Your best bet will be to start checking with surburban hotels close to subway stations in either suburban Maryland or suburban Virginia. If you can actually still get a room in either Silver Spring, or Arlington, or Crystal City, or Chevy Chase, or whatever, stay close when you get on the train. The lastest estimates are that approximmately 4,000,000 will attend. Remember, there are states that don't have 4,000,000 people. Everyone will have to crowd onto limited subway platform space and subway cars. Don't lose anyone.
To date DC, unlike some other cities, has not had problems with pickpockets, but do yourself a favor, bring your drivers license AND passport and keep them on your body. DC, of late, has had problems with snatch and grab boys, and girls, stealing iPods and crackberrys. It might be a good idea to leave those kind of toys at home. Do bring sandwhiches, water, and coffee. If you don't have tickets and want to get a good spot on the parade route, you will have to get downtown early. If you get a good spot you won't be able to leave, so it will be a good idea for you to have your own goodies.
Chances are you will wind up watching the whole thing on one of the "JumboTrons" they'll set up on the Mall. Either way, this is probably not the best venue for your 86 year old Grandma or your two year old. Remember if you are on the Mall, the only place to sit will be on the ground, so bring blankets.
That brings to mind the weather. I don't hold with long range weather forecasts. I've been screwed way too many times by those. Rule of thumb? January in DC is cold. Every once in a blue moon we get lucky...for a day of two. Plan for the cold.
Bring your own sani-wipes or TP. If I were in charge of security, I would not grant access to restrooms in federal buildings. Who knows? The government might. But if not, you'll be stuck with Porta-Potties. So be prepared and bring along hand-sanitizer.
After the swearing in and he parades are all over, stay downtown and gt a bite to eat. Getting on the trains after it's all over will just be nuts. Relax, get warm, and eat some good food. The subway will be running to midnight, for sure.
Don't get drunk, don't screw with John Law, ignore the pan handlers, and you are sure to have a trip you'll be talking about for years.
Now, any questions?
If you have friends here, finding a place on the floor to sleep probably won't be a problem. I stress floor becuase if you have not already planned your trip, chances are others have, so they may have snagged the guest room and/or family room you want. Unless you have deep pockets, you can probably forget about a 3-Star or up hotel room. (And if you do in the middle of this officially declared recession, let's talk.) Do not rent a room in any of the motels on New York Avenue, NE. These are used by prostitutes and tend to be greasy. Your best bet will be to start checking with surburban hotels close to subway stations in either suburban Maryland or suburban Virginia. If you can actually still get a room in either Silver Spring, or Arlington, or Crystal City, or Chevy Chase, or whatever, stay close when you get on the train. The lastest estimates are that approximmately 4,000,000 will attend. Remember, there are states that don't have 4,000,000 people. Everyone will have to crowd onto limited subway platform space and subway cars. Don't lose anyone.
To date DC, unlike some other cities, has not had problems with pickpockets, but do yourself a favor, bring your drivers license AND passport and keep them on your body. DC, of late, has had problems with snatch and grab boys, and girls, stealing iPods and crackberrys. It might be a good idea to leave those kind of toys at home. Do bring sandwhiches, water, and coffee. If you don't have tickets and want to get a good spot on the parade route, you will have to get downtown early. If you get a good spot you won't be able to leave, so it will be a good idea for you to have your own goodies.
Chances are you will wind up watching the whole thing on one of the "JumboTrons" they'll set up on the Mall. Either way, this is probably not the best venue for your 86 year old Grandma or your two year old. Remember if you are on the Mall, the only place to sit will be on the ground, so bring blankets.
That brings to mind the weather. I don't hold with long range weather forecasts. I've been screwed way too many times by those. Rule of thumb? January in DC is cold. Every once in a blue moon we get lucky...for a day of two. Plan for the cold.
Bring your own sani-wipes or TP. If I were in charge of security, I would not grant access to restrooms in federal buildings. Who knows? The government might. But if not, you'll be stuck with Porta-Potties. So be prepared and bring along hand-sanitizer.
After the swearing in and he parades are all over, stay downtown and gt a bite to eat. Getting on the trains after it's all over will just be nuts. Relax, get warm, and eat some good food. The subway will be running to midnight, for sure.
Don't get drunk, don't screw with John Law, ignore the pan handlers, and you are sure to have a trip you'll be talking about for years.
Now, any questions?
Sunday, November 30, 2008
When You Watch The "News," Ask WHY?
I seriously believe that many school systems have stopped teaching critical thinking. I worry that many institutions that hold themselves out as being "colleges" don't teach critical thinking. I'm sure that real colleges and universities do. But whether they do or not means nothing if people don't apply critical thinking.
I'm thinking about this as I watch the evening rerun of Meet the Press. Personally, I think this show has gone way done hill since Tim Russert died, but that's neither here nor there. Given all the events of this past week, i.e., President-elect Obama naming his economic team, the prospect Senator Hillary Clinton becoming the Secretary of State, indeed whether Hillary Clinton CAN legally be confirmed, oh yes, and of course the terrorist attack in India, Brokaw is interviewing Laura Bush about women's rights in Afghanistan and Ted Turner.
HUH? Why?
I don't believe in human led theocracies, so the way women, or men that matter, are treated by the Taliban matters to me. But Taliban treatment, or mistreatment people is nothing new. The Taliban has maintained the same modus operandi for years...like way back when the Bush Family and their oil and gas compatriots were trying to do natural gas deals with them prior to 9/11. So why is Laura Bush all of a sudden concerned about the oppression of women in Afghanistan? I've never seen the Bush Administration, or the Republican Party as a whole champion the rights of women anywhere, especially over the last 8 years. The treatment of women in Dafur comes quickly to mind. Then there is the NBC piece of this. Neither NBC, nor it's parent company General Electric, has won any awards for their treatment of female employees. In fact, I have a buddy who's cousin, a former GE attorney, made out REALLY well in a sex/race discrimination case. I won't go into details but she doesn't have to practice law anymore. So why is Laura Bush on Meet the Press decrying Taliban persecution of women in the face of all the other immediately pressing news facing America? Ted Turner coming on Meet the Press for a full interview to pimp his new book makes sense. Turner has a healthy and profitable relationship with GE. It doesn't make good sense, in light of all the hot news this week. But when a news organization is owned by a major corporation, and is supposed to be a profit center, like any other GE subsidiaries, promoting the interests of one of your partner/investors, is easy to figure. But Laura Bush, after 8 years of nothing now pushing for women's rights in Afghanistan, of all places, is interesting to say the least.
Maybe after reading this, you may be curious, too. Here are a few links you may want to read. This, hopefully, will prime the pump for you to begin your own research as to why the Bush family, all of a sudden, cares about women's rights in Afghanistan.
1. http://books.google.com/books?id=KbQNfg0ws-IC&pg=PA176&lpg=PA176&dq=%22George+W.+Bush%22%26%22Taliban%22%26%22natural+gas%22&source=web&ots=tB4AFfTQt8&sig=hf2c_MENij7HN9UhlXzLADHduzc&hl=en&sa=X&oi=book_result&resnum=5&ct=result
2. http://www.worldpress.org/specials/pp/front.htm
3. http://www.historycommons.org/context.jsp?item=a0799talibanvisit
4. http://www.alternet.org/story/12525/?page=3
5. http://newsaic.com/f911chap4-3.html
6. http://www.progressiveaustin.org/hell2pay.htm
I'm thinking about this as I watch the evening rerun of Meet the Press. Personally, I think this show has gone way done hill since Tim Russert died, but that's neither here nor there. Given all the events of this past week, i.e., President-elect Obama naming his economic team, the prospect Senator Hillary Clinton becoming the Secretary of State, indeed whether Hillary Clinton CAN legally be confirmed, oh yes, and of course the terrorist attack in India, Brokaw is interviewing Laura Bush about women's rights in Afghanistan and Ted Turner.
HUH? Why?
I don't believe in human led theocracies, so the way women, or men that matter, are treated by the Taliban matters to me. But Taliban treatment, or mistreatment people is nothing new. The Taliban has maintained the same modus operandi for years...like way back when the Bush Family and their oil and gas compatriots were trying to do natural gas deals with them prior to 9/11. So why is Laura Bush all of a sudden concerned about the oppression of women in Afghanistan? I've never seen the Bush Administration, or the Republican Party as a whole champion the rights of women anywhere, especially over the last 8 years. The treatment of women in Dafur comes quickly to mind. Then there is the NBC piece of this. Neither NBC, nor it's parent company General Electric, has won any awards for their treatment of female employees. In fact, I have a buddy who's cousin, a former GE attorney, made out REALLY well in a sex/race discrimination case. I won't go into details but she doesn't have to practice law anymore. So why is Laura Bush on Meet the Press decrying Taliban persecution of women in the face of all the other immediately pressing news facing America? Ted Turner coming on Meet the Press for a full interview to pimp his new book makes sense. Turner has a healthy and profitable relationship with GE. It doesn't make good sense, in light of all the hot news this week. But when a news organization is owned by a major corporation, and is supposed to be a profit center, like any other GE subsidiaries, promoting the interests of one of your partner/investors, is easy to figure. But Laura Bush, after 8 years of nothing now pushing for women's rights in Afghanistan, of all places, is interesting to say the least.
Maybe after reading this, you may be curious, too. Here are a few links you may want to read. This, hopefully, will prime the pump for you to begin your own research as to why the Bush family, all of a sudden, cares about women's rights in Afghanistan.
1. http://books.google.com/books?id=KbQNfg0ws-IC&pg=PA176&lpg=PA176&dq=%22George+W.+Bush%22%26%22Taliban%22%26%22natural+gas%22&source=web&ots=tB4AFfTQt8&sig=hf2c_MENij7HN9UhlXzLADHduzc&hl=en&sa=X&oi=book_result&resnum=5&ct=result
2. http://www.worldpress.org/specials/pp/front.htm
3. http://www.historycommons.org/context.jsp?item=a0799talibanvisit
4. http://www.alternet.org/story/12525/?page=3
5. http://newsaic.com/f911chap4-3.html
6. http://www.progressiveaustin.org/hell2pay.htm
Saturday, November 29, 2008
Obama Pic
A friend asked if I will add an Obama pic to my blog like all the other DC pics I have. Yes Of course I will, AFTER he is sworn in. Actually I hope I will get a pic of Obama and Michelle similar to that of Kennedy and Jackie off to the right.
By the way, I will continue to add DC pics from now as well as the past.
By the way, I will continue to add DC pics from now as well as the past.
I Tell You, You've Got To Watch My Dog Every Second!
Pekoe's papers say he's pedigree, but I swear sometimes...
It was time for Pekoe the Dog to get his toes clipped last week. There was another owner and dog, a female white lab incidentally, directly in front of us as we were going into the vet's office. Pekoe was too busy sniffing up this chick, that he didn't get the tip of his tail out of the way of the door. The very tip of his tail was cut! Blood everywhere. They rushed him into dog surgery. Pain killers, antibiotics, stitches, bandages, a crazy, way out, plastic tail-tube, and $500 later, Pekoe is on his way home.
Days pass and he's healing up okay. Once and a while he gnaws at the tube, but everything okay. I take him back in Wednesday, the vet, some woman with hair for days, says he doing fine. If everything stays that way, she says, the bandages and stitches should come out sometime during the 1st and the 5th of December.
Thanksgiving, I noticed that Bullethead, one of the many names I call him, has cracked the plastic tube around his tail. No bleeding, no worries. Grab a roll of duct tape and fix the crack, leaving plenty of air for the tail to breathe and heal.
This afternoon I noticed that Pekoe has been gnawing at the duct tape. Again, I take note and got back to the computer. While I was eating lunch he was at my feet...as usual. I was not paying attention and didn't notice him slip away after I had finished eating. When I got up from the computer to look outside, I happened to look over at Pekoe's bed. I noticed some kind of trash at the foot of his bed. I walked over to see what the trash was and to pick it up. I was horrified to see that it was the remains of duct tape and the plastic tubing!
I plan to cover cursing on another blog post. As such I won't get into what I screamed and shouted. I immediately noticed that his bed was wet. I was scared that it was blood! On closer inspection, I saw it was just saliva. But where was all the bandaging? The dumb dog ate it of course. I immediately knew I'd be cleaning up a vomit and bandage at 4:00 am.
His vet was closed but a friend called the 24hour vet in Rockville. More on them too at another time. They said if the tail wasn't bleeding, I had two choices. First, I could gauze the tail up myself, or second, I could leave it alone. The antibiotics should protect against infection. The key is to keep Muttley from licking the wound. Easier said than done.
It's almost 5:00 pm. Time for me to feed him. I have a friend that's having a little get together this evening, so I guess won't be going. Damn shame too, because I bet their won't be jack on TV...
So why do I bother? Part of it is that I love the dog. The other part of it is that it's not like he can take care of a wound himself. Taking care of a wounded animal is just the right thing to do. Another thing is that I don't know if Pekoe is my best friend, considering all goodies of mine he's eaten and clothes of mine he's ruined, but he certainly is a good friend. Pekoe has been with me through thick and thin, and now that's he's in trouble, I won't leave him hanging.
Hmmmm....I wonder is this loyalty?
It was time for Pekoe the Dog to get his toes clipped last week. There was another owner and dog, a female white lab incidentally, directly in front of us as we were going into the vet's office. Pekoe was too busy sniffing up this chick, that he didn't get the tip of his tail out of the way of the door. The very tip of his tail was cut! Blood everywhere. They rushed him into dog surgery. Pain killers, antibiotics, stitches, bandages, a crazy, way out, plastic tail-tube, and $500 later, Pekoe is on his way home.
Days pass and he's healing up okay. Once and a while he gnaws at the tube, but everything okay. I take him back in Wednesday, the vet, some woman with hair for days, says he doing fine. If everything stays that way, she says, the bandages and stitches should come out sometime during the 1st and the 5th of December.
Thanksgiving, I noticed that Bullethead, one of the many names I call him, has cracked the plastic tube around his tail. No bleeding, no worries. Grab a roll of duct tape and fix the crack, leaving plenty of air for the tail to breathe and heal.
This afternoon I noticed that Pekoe has been gnawing at the duct tape. Again, I take note and got back to the computer. While I was eating lunch he was at my feet...as usual. I was not paying attention and didn't notice him slip away after I had finished eating. When I got up from the computer to look outside, I happened to look over at Pekoe's bed. I noticed some kind of trash at the foot of his bed. I walked over to see what the trash was and to pick it up. I was horrified to see that it was the remains of duct tape and the plastic tubing!
I plan to cover cursing on another blog post. As such I won't get into what I screamed and shouted. I immediately noticed that his bed was wet. I was scared that it was blood! On closer inspection, I saw it was just saliva. But where was all the bandaging? The dumb dog ate it of course. I immediately knew I'd be cleaning up a vomit and bandage at 4:00 am.
His vet was closed but a friend called the 24hour vet in Rockville. More on them too at another time. They said if the tail wasn't bleeding, I had two choices. First, I could gauze the tail up myself, or second, I could leave it alone. The antibiotics should protect against infection. The key is to keep Muttley from licking the wound. Easier said than done.
It's almost 5:00 pm. Time for me to feed him. I have a friend that's having a little get together this evening, so I guess won't be going. Damn shame too, because I bet their won't be jack on TV...
So why do I bother? Part of it is that I love the dog. The other part of it is that it's not like he can take care of a wound himself. Taking care of a wounded animal is just the right thing to do. Another thing is that I don't know if Pekoe is my best friend, considering all goodies of mine he's eaten and clothes of mine he's ruined, but he certainly is a good friend. Pekoe has been with me through thick and thin, and now that's he's in trouble, I won't leave him hanging.
Hmmmm....I wonder is this loyalty?
Friday, November 28, 2008
Stores Opening at 5:00 am!
I listened, compassionately, to a friend go off about the fact that she has no space in her 3 floor colonial for all her stuff. Dresses, blouses, suits, jewelry, cosmetics, lotions, soaps, books, magazines, and above all, her freaking SHOES! Racks and bins of clothes everywhere! Her basement looks like Filene's Basement in Boston! So what does she do on Black Friday? Go shopping!
No she wasn't one of the throngs that hit a mall at 5:00am. For her, 9:00am was more than adequate. But the question I ask, which drives her straight up a wall, is why are you buying all this?!?!?!?!? The larger question of course, is why do any of us buy the junk we buy?
I know people don't read newspapers anymore, but have they stopped watching TV news as well? We are now suffering the curse of living in a consumer society run amok. We buy things we want, not need. These things are not manufactured in our own country, which means we transfer our money to other countries, namely China, while robbing ourselves of savings. These countries take the money we send them and use our dollars to build their infrastructure, human capital, and in the case of China, their military. Think about that next time you go into an Old Navy or Wall-Mart.
The other piece of this is energy consumption. Retail stores use A LOT of power. Then there is the gas people use to get there and back. Don't forget the gas used to transport the stuff from the point of manufacture to the store. Last, think about the amount of petroleum used to create paints, dyes, plastics, and packaging.
Think about it, how much stuff can you use at one time? How many clothes or shoes can you wear at one time? Societal demand being what they are, you probably don't want to wear the same clothes everyday, even if you are in the military. We don't need all the crap we buy. Yes, I know, retail is a major sector of our economy. But if you think about it, it makes more sense to either save or invest the cash we don't spend on essentials like food and housing. Remember, if you keep up with current events, you know that we are going to have to develop new technologies. If Americans en masse save and invest their money, American banks and financial institutions can fund the development of these new technologies. This could all help to re-grow the American economy, and create new jobs in America, for Americans. In terms of the big picture, isn't this more important than a bath robe, a Hancock DVD, or a commemorative plate?
No she wasn't one of the throngs that hit a mall at 5:00am. For her, 9:00am was more than adequate. But the question I ask, which drives her straight up a wall, is why are you buying all this?!?!?!?!? The larger question of course, is why do any of us buy the junk we buy?
I know people don't read newspapers anymore, but have they stopped watching TV news as well? We are now suffering the curse of living in a consumer society run amok. We buy things we want, not need. These things are not manufactured in our own country, which means we transfer our money to other countries, namely China, while robbing ourselves of savings. These countries take the money we send them and use our dollars to build their infrastructure, human capital, and in the case of China, their military. Think about that next time you go into an Old Navy or Wall-Mart.
The other piece of this is energy consumption. Retail stores use A LOT of power. Then there is the gas people use to get there and back. Don't forget the gas used to transport the stuff from the point of manufacture to the store. Last, think about the amount of petroleum used to create paints, dyes, plastics, and packaging.
Think about it, how much stuff can you use at one time? How many clothes or shoes can you wear at one time? Societal demand being what they are, you probably don't want to wear the same clothes everyday, even if you are in the military. We don't need all the crap we buy. Yes, I know, retail is a major sector of our economy. But if you think about it, it makes more sense to either save or invest the cash we don't spend on essentials like food and housing. Remember, if you keep up with current events, you know that we are going to have to develop new technologies. If Americans en masse save and invest their money, American banks and financial institutions can fund the development of these new technologies. This could all help to re-grow the American economy, and create new jobs in America, for Americans. In terms of the big picture, isn't this more important than a bath robe, a Hancock DVD, or a commemorative plate?
Thursday, November 27, 2008
Martin Luther King Got it Right!
While sitting around watching the Cowboys/Seahawks game, a game I hope Dallas loses, we got to talking about potential plans for the Inauguration. Estimates call for about 4M people to attend. We all noted that the fact that the Martin Luther King, Jr Holiday, the day immediately before the Inauguration, will no doubt make it more convenient for people out of state to come. This will result in more people lining the parade route, which of course will make it more difficult for us to get a great view.
It's all about my friends and me...;))
However, the mention of MLK, Jr. made me think of how ironic it is that Barack Obama, an American of African decent, will be sworn in as the 44th President of the United States, the very day after the commemoration of the martyred Civil Rights leader. This, in turn made me think about the core theme of what Martin Luther King, Jr. was all about: Equality. What Martin Luther King, Jr. said, essentially, was give African-Americans a chance. If given a chance at equal education and equal opportunity, black people could both attain much but also contribute to the United States in a measure equal to whites.
Fast forward 40 years.
Barack Obama must have been about 8 when King was assassinated. However one could argue that young Barack was an example of what King had argued. He had equal access to education and opportunity. Barack Obama also took full advantage of his education and made opportunities. In other words, both he and his wife Michelle, worked their asses off!
But Barack Obama is not unique. Oh, to be sure he is unique in that he is a human being, and as such he, like everyone, is a unique creation. But the work that MLK, Jr. and others accomplished through from the late 1950s throughout the 1960s, enabled African-Americans. Come to downtown Washington, DC any weekday morning. You'll find African-Americans excelling in whatever their chosen careers.
So what's they lesson here? Martin Luther King, Jr. got it right. Black people and other Americans of color can achieve and with drive, determination, vision, and smarts are contributing to America...now when we need it most.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PbUtL_0vAJk
It's all about my friends and me...;))
However, the mention of MLK, Jr. made me think of how ironic it is that Barack Obama, an American of African decent, will be sworn in as the 44th President of the United States, the very day after the commemoration of the martyred Civil Rights leader. This, in turn made me think about the core theme of what Martin Luther King, Jr. was all about: Equality. What Martin Luther King, Jr. said, essentially, was give African-Americans a chance. If given a chance at equal education and equal opportunity, black people could both attain much but also contribute to the United States in a measure equal to whites.
Fast forward 40 years.
Barack Obama must have been about 8 when King was assassinated. However one could argue that young Barack was an example of what King had argued. He had equal access to education and opportunity. Barack Obama also took full advantage of his education and made opportunities. In other words, both he and his wife Michelle, worked their asses off!
But Barack Obama is not unique. Oh, to be sure he is unique in that he is a human being, and as such he, like everyone, is a unique creation. But the work that MLK, Jr. and others accomplished through from the late 1950s throughout the 1960s, enabled African-Americans. Come to downtown Washington, DC any weekday morning. You'll find African-Americans excelling in whatever their chosen careers.
So what's they lesson here? Martin Luther King, Jr. got it right. Black people and other Americans of color can achieve and with drive, determination, vision, and smarts are contributing to America...now when we need it most.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PbUtL_0vAJk
Wednesday, October 29, 2008
Getting in Shape
I believe that everyone has the potential to be a Super Hero, this is say that I believe that everyone has the potential to be exceptional. You need to discover you talent or skill and determine to improve yourself, in some way, everyday. A part of that is getting, or in my case getting back into shape. You don't really need to spend a lot of money to do this either. There are local gyms of course, or the Y. You can spend money for a membership and work out on the regular. For a lot of people this works. Depending on the gym, they not only have all the equipment you need, but you make new friends...which is always a good thing.
If you don't want to drop the cash, then don't. You really don't have to join a gym if you don't want. You can work out in and around your home.
It doesn't cost a thing to walk/run around your neighborhood, or to do push-up, squats, and crunches at home.
But there is a third method, kind of a hybrid of the two. Visit you city or county rec center. They've recently completed a new indoor pool on the grounds of the former outdoor pool, blocks from where I live. It's great! But the thing of it is, I don't have to spend a dime. It's a city pool. Taxes, yes taxes, take care of it. If I have friends from over the state line that want to swim, they pay $3.
If you don't want to drop the cash, then don't. You really don't have to join a gym if you don't want. You can work out in and around your home.
It doesn't cost a thing to walk/run around your neighborhood, or to do push-up, squats, and crunches at home.
But there is a third method, kind of a hybrid of the two. Visit you city or county rec center. They've recently completed a new indoor pool on the grounds of the former outdoor pool, blocks from where I live. It's great! But the thing of it is, I don't have to spend a dime. It's a city pool. Taxes, yes taxes, take care of it. If I have friends from over the state line that want to swim, they pay $3.
Here's a picture of my neighborhood pool. Depending on what time a day or evening you go, the place is almost empty. It's almost like having your own private pool! But wait, there's more. Outside the pool is a small weight room. Nothing fancy, buy you can get the job done. Combining free weights and a pool workout is great. You get in shape fast and it keeps you from getting bored.
If you can't swim, no big deal. Most city/county pools have swim classes. They even have water aerobics. And did I mention our local pool is heated? It's a great deal all the way around, but for free, it's an exceptional deal.
Now, here are a few vids that might help you use a local pool to get yourself into great shape.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7oQu2teJ3Ow&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cvQ5LqJk7pc
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nVnhkY4Ew30
Okay, now look, I did not pick these vids because they featured great looking women, but...
The key thing to remember is getting yourself in shape is all a part of how you are going to approach life. You can get the most out of life, and become the exceptional person you want to be when you have good health. You'll enjoy better health, if you get, and keep, yourself in shape. Getting in shape will also help the way others view you and the way you view yourself.
So whatever way works for you, get out there and get started.
Leadership in a Time of Crisis
I am a news junkie. It pays to be when you live in a town like Washington. If you are reading this post, I wonder have you checked out the morning news, specifically:
http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2008/08/08/national/main4331869.shtml?source=related_story
Again, judging by the polls, it looks like Obama will win. After the election, I hope Bush, McCain, and Obama will all appear on television, in prime time, and address the need for all Americans to come together and work to resolve the issues that plague our nation. Having our national leaders stand together, partisan politics aside, and show real leadership in a time of crisis is crucial. This kind of leadership will do a lot to both quiet the voices of discord, but blunt their resonance.
True, a strong show of national unity won't eliminate the hate, fear, and mistrust that has accumulated through America over generations, and has been exacerbated during this election cycle, but it will go a long way to calm the waters as a new president, who ever he is, and a new congress get their collective feet planted.
http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2008/08/08/national/main4331869.shtml?source=related_story
Again, judging by the polls, it looks like Obama will win. After the election, I hope Bush, McCain, and Obama will all appear on television, in prime time, and address the need for all Americans to come together and work to resolve the issues that plague our nation. Having our national leaders stand together, partisan politics aside, and show real leadership in a time of crisis is crucial. This kind of leadership will do a lot to both quiet the voices of discord, but blunt their resonance.
True, a strong show of national unity won't eliminate the hate, fear, and mistrust that has accumulated through America over generations, and has been exacerbated during this election cycle, but it will go a long way to calm the waters as a new president, who ever he is, and a new congress get their collective feet planted.
Tuesday, October 28, 2008
TAXES!
Everyone hates taxes, especially higher taxes. But realistically, given the state of our economy, how will we avoid them? We can't continue to live on money borrowed from China.
Winning at All Costs
I have often mused about the concept of winning at all costs. I wonder indeed if you have to win at all costs do you really win.?
I have a tendency to browse all kinds of websites, from the most benign to the most extreme. It amazes me what I have read about Barack Obama. I have read that he is a terrorist, taken as a small child by al-Qaeda, brainwashed and trained to achieve high office, and upon doing so, destroy the US from within.
Pretty dastardly!
I have read that he is a Hitler and that the minute he achieves the presidency, he will kill all white Americans because of his intense hate of white people.
Strange, considering his mom, grandparents, and relatives including Brad Pitt, are white.
I have read that he was brainwashed by the Soviets to do the same thing al-Qaeda brainwashed him to do.
Kind of a two for the price of one.
I also read that he was brainwashed by Israel to usher in the final phase of control of the Zionist Occupational Government, which has already weakened America through the Council on Foreign Relations, the International Monetary Fund, the World Bank, etc.
It amazes me that people out their believe in all this. But knowing that people do believe in each of these fantasies, but given that, Campaign McCain, in an attempt to win the election, has begun to play into some of these bizarre scripts by characterizing Obama, as "dangerous," or calling him a socialist and a communist.
I am an American. I love my country. I agree with the Constitution, in fact I once took an oath to defend and protect it. I believe in freedom of speech. I believe that Senator McCain has this right and that he should exercise it. But for someone like John McCain, knowing the fear and paranoia that some Americans have to stoke the flames of the unreasoned and unreasoning fear that some have to sanction the things his surrogates have said about Obama is beyond believe.
And what has been the result? Ashley Todd, allegedly a paid McCain supporter, (http://boards.historychannel.com/topic/Current-Events/Attack-Hoaxer-Turns/520018838)
filing a false police report about being physically attacked by a black man. Skinheads arrested, planning to kill Obama and other African-Americans, http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/10/27/AR2008102702347.html. And now a teen is shot for defacing a McCain lawn sign, http://edition.cnn.com/2008/CRIME/10/28/yard.sign.shooting/index.html.
Senator McCain and Governor Palin, you have got to see that when you say some of the things you you have said in recent days, you are stirring people to acts of criminal violence. Senator McCain, to you credit, at one rally you corrected a woman who accused Obama of being a Muslim, but what about all the other rallies Campaign McCain has held in which people screamed, Kill [Obama]?"
Winning can't be worth the damage that is being caused, i.e., leading people to embrace beliefs that Obama will somehow destroy the United States. Winning has got to be about building America and her citizens up, not tearing us all apart. With our problematic economy, things will be tough enough without the added burden of rebuilding the relationship of the American people.
I have a tendency to browse all kinds of websites, from the most benign to the most extreme. It amazes me what I have read about Barack Obama. I have read that he is a terrorist, taken as a small child by al-Qaeda, brainwashed and trained to achieve high office, and upon doing so, destroy the US from within.
Pretty dastardly!
I have read that he is a Hitler and that the minute he achieves the presidency, he will kill all white Americans because of his intense hate of white people.
Strange, considering his mom, grandparents, and relatives including Brad Pitt, are white.
I have read that he was brainwashed by the Soviets to do the same thing al-Qaeda brainwashed him to do.
Kind of a two for the price of one.
I also read that he was brainwashed by Israel to usher in the final phase of control of the Zionist Occupational Government, which has already weakened America through the Council on Foreign Relations, the International Monetary Fund, the World Bank, etc.
It amazes me that people out their believe in all this. But knowing that people do believe in each of these fantasies, but given that, Campaign McCain, in an attempt to win the election, has begun to play into some of these bizarre scripts by characterizing Obama, as "dangerous," or calling him a socialist and a communist.
I am an American. I love my country. I agree with the Constitution, in fact I once took an oath to defend and protect it. I believe in freedom of speech. I believe that Senator McCain has this right and that he should exercise it. But for someone like John McCain, knowing the fear and paranoia that some Americans have to stoke the flames of the unreasoned and unreasoning fear that some have to sanction the things his surrogates have said about Obama is beyond believe.
And what has been the result? Ashley Todd, allegedly a paid McCain supporter, (http://boards.historychannel.com/topic/Current-Events/Attack-Hoaxer-Turns/520018838)
filing a false police report about being physically attacked by a black man. Skinheads arrested, planning to kill Obama and other African-Americans, http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/10/27/AR2008102702347.html. And now a teen is shot for defacing a McCain lawn sign, http://edition.cnn.com/2008/CRIME/10/28/yard.sign.shooting/index.html.
Senator McCain and Governor Palin, you have got to see that when you say some of the things you you have said in recent days, you are stirring people to acts of criminal violence. Senator McCain, to you credit, at one rally you corrected a woman who accused Obama of being a Muslim, but what about all the other rallies Campaign McCain has held in which people screamed, Kill [Obama]?"
Winning can't be worth the damage that is being caused, i.e., leading people to embrace beliefs that Obama will somehow destroy the United States. Winning has got to be about building America and her citizens up, not tearing us all apart. With our problematic economy, things will be tough enough without the added burden of rebuilding the relationship of the American people.
Pekoe the Dog
Superman has Krypto. Batman has, or at least had Bat-Hound. I have Pekoe the Wonder Dog. He cannot fly and he does not have x-ray vision, but he does have the ability to be able to eat anything at anytime, and a mind numbing poot that will render you senseless.
We ALL Have a Lot of Work to Do
Next week I suspect that Senator Barack Obama will be elected President of the United States. To be sure this will be a historical event in that the Senator has African ancestry...as well as European. For me, the racial aspect is insignificant. I think that what will be truly historical about an Obama presidency will be leadership specifically designed to aid America through the transition from a 20th Century Cold War paradigm into something that will provide our great grandchildren with real freedom, real national and personal independence, and above all, real security. Further, if I am correct, the other, perhaps more important result of an Obama administration will be that each and every American will be called upon to learn about leadership and exhibit it.
Due to the our excesses, both our own and our parents, we as Americans have stumbled our way into a mess of epic proportions. We have used far too much of the world's resources. We have lived far over and above our means. This is not "blame America," this is just fact. An Obama presidency will be a call for us to face reality and fix the problems that face us.
However in order for us to face these problems we must grow above our collective past. One of the problems we must grow above is fear. Fear of other Americans of other races to start. Fear of what the world will be like if we are not the only "SuperPower." Fear of changing our standard of living. Fear of not living in a "Me First" society.
Think about it. Do we really need to have 3 cars in one family? Do we really need a television in every room of the house? Do we really need to buy the amount of clothing we buy? Do we really need to do any of the things we do now, if it will create a negatively impact the lives of Americans yet to be born?
We will all have to ask ourselves what is really important.
I love my country. I believe that our collective future can be bright. But I believe that what Barack Obama and Joe Biden will usher in will be a new "Conservatism," if you will. A Conservatism based on saving. A national security built upon every American constantly learning new things so that we will be the first to come to a global marketplace with new and better goods and services. A national security based on consultation, cooperation, and trade. Does this vision element a need for a strong military defense? Of course not, but think about it. A nation, above all else needs oil to fight. Why not reduce the sources of conflict, thereby reducing the need for conflict, and and as a result save resources natural, capital, and most importantly, human?
I believe this is change. I believe in this kind of change. I believe that Barack Obama will lead us all to be agents of this change. And I can't wait. But we will all have a lot of work to do.
Due to the our excesses, both our own and our parents, we as Americans have stumbled our way into a mess of epic proportions. We have used far too much of the world's resources. We have lived far over and above our means. This is not "blame America," this is just fact. An Obama presidency will be a call for us to face reality and fix the problems that face us.
However in order for us to face these problems we must grow above our collective past. One of the problems we must grow above is fear. Fear of other Americans of other races to start. Fear of what the world will be like if we are not the only "SuperPower." Fear of changing our standard of living. Fear of not living in a "Me First" society.
Think about it. Do we really need to have 3 cars in one family? Do we really need a television in every room of the house? Do we really need to buy the amount of clothing we buy? Do we really need to do any of the things we do now, if it will create a negatively impact the lives of Americans yet to be born?
We will all have to ask ourselves what is really important.
I love my country. I believe that our collective future can be bright. But I believe that what Barack Obama and Joe Biden will usher in will be a new "Conservatism," if you will. A Conservatism based on saving. A national security built upon every American constantly learning new things so that we will be the first to come to a global marketplace with new and better goods and services. A national security based on consultation, cooperation, and trade. Does this vision element a need for a strong military defense? Of course not, but think about it. A nation, above all else needs oil to fight. Why not reduce the sources of conflict, thereby reducing the need for conflict, and and as a result save resources natural, capital, and most importantly, human?
I believe this is change. I believe in this kind of change. I believe that Barack Obama will lead us all to be agents of this change. And I can't wait. But we will all have a lot of work to do.
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