Around the end of the Jurassic Era, when I was in elementary and high school back in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, one of the classes we were required to take was "Civics," in which we learned about American government and the responsibilities of citizenship. I don't know if such classes are still required (I don't recall my daughter having one), but if they aren't, they need to be, because I don't remember a time in which such lessons were needed more than they are today.
It used to mean something special to be an American. You were a citizen of the greatest nation in the world, the country everyone wanted to come to. No matter what your name was, your religion, your ethnicity, your race, your original home, there was a place for you as long as you were willing to work hard and do your part to build the American dream.
It wasn't perfect, of course. Through the years, almost every ethnic group has suffered discrimination and economic deprivation on its way to the achievement of that mythical American Dream. There were times when you could see signs everywhere with messages like, "No Irish Need Apply," "Whites Only," and "Jews Not Welcome Here." But in the long run, all of those groups persevered and became part of the group called "Americans."
In my old Civics classes, we learned that America was a Melting Pot - a great kettle into which people of every race, color, creed, and ethnic background fell, melted together, and emerged as something new called an American. The Melting Pot helped to get rid of (or at least, to minimize) old prejudices and produce citizens who spoke English and believed in core American values of hard work, tolerance, and civic responsibility.
Sometime during the intervening years, the Melting Pot gave way to the Tossed Salad - the concept of America as a huge bowl into which people of every race, color, creed, and ethnic background were dropped and tossed around to create a salad that preserved the identity of each individual ingredient while producing a pleasing whole. This was the beginning, I think, of the trend toward emphasis on preserving ethnic backgrounds at the expense of the concept of an American identity. We became a nation of hypens: Irish-Americans, Italian-Americans, and African-Americans, people to whom the ethnic designation to the left of the hyphen was as important (or more) than the American to the right.
And today we have the Mosaic - the concept of America as a image made up of millions of individual pieces, each one separate and distinct, each one demarcated from all the others by its color and placement. In the Mosaic, the color, shape, and location of each individual piece has become more important than its value as part of the whole: one is no longer an American, but rather a Black, a Hispanic, a Muslim, gay or lesbian, or whatever.
In the Mosaic America, many Muslims insist on maintaining a religious identity that trumps civic responsibilities; many Blacks want special treatment to compensate for past discrimination; and many Hispanics want a Spanish-speaking environment in which it isn't necessary to learn the English language that was once the glue that helped hold a wildly diverse nation together.
The Melting Pot may or may not have been the best metaphor for America, but it did manage to make us the Nation of Choice for people fleeing oppression and discrimination elsewhere. Unfortunately, as the Melting Pot yielded to the Tossed Salad and then to the Mosaic, the entire concept of being an American has changed. Nowadays, people stream into this country - many in flagrant violation of the law - and insist on recreating the environments they left behind. The America of toleration and rational action runs the risk of changing to a collection of polarized elements, each insisting on its perceived rights and privileges at the expense of the nation as a whole.
As we lurch through the endless banality and empty posturing of the presidential campaign season, it's worth thinking about what's not being said. The next president will inherit a badly fractured nation in danger of changing from Tossed Salad to Mosaic. He (or she) must be prepared to be the president of all Americans, and to articulate a vision of the America we stand to lose if we lose sight of the virtues and traditions that made us a great nation.
Think about that as you decide which of the mediocre candidates out there deserves your vote. One of them is going to set our course for the next four years, and probably influence it for much longer. I'm old, crusty, and pissed off...I can vent my spleen in my blog and wish for the return of the better days of the Melting Pot. Unfortunately, my beloved grandchildren will grow up in the era of the Mosaic.
And it'll be an era of a diminished America of squabbling bits and pieces, not the great engine of progress and toleration.
And that's sad.
Have a good day. More thoughts tomorrow.
Bilbo
Thursday, January 31, 2008
Wednesday, January 30, 2008
And If I Am Elected...
Several of my regular readers, who have obviously been hitting the well-fermented cider, have suggested that I run for president. The clear implication is that I couldn't possibly do any worse than the current occupant of the White House; nevertheless, I'm flattered that Serina Hope, Mike, and John all think I ought to make a try for the Oval Office.
So...assuming I were to run for president, what would I promise (because you can't be a candidate without promising everyone something)?
Hmmm....
A chicken in every pot and a car in every garage? Nah...already done.
Free beer? Well, that'll get me the votes of both my brothers and everyone in my office, but won't really contribute much toward a majority in the Electoral College.
How about something really radical...
I promise, if elected, to talk to - not at - the American people.
In line with the observation that we have two ears and only one mouth, I promise to listen twice as much as I talk.
I promise to follow a foreign policy based on what's best for America...not what's pushed by special interest blocs or advocates of the needs of any other nation.
I promise to use the word illegal at every opportunity when discussing our out-of-control illegal immigration problem.
I promise an administration based on common sense and sound moral principles...not on the tides of political correctness or the dictates of a specific religion.
I promise to focus on the needs of the Real People of America...the ones who go to work every day, care for their families, pay taxes, and worry about Real Issues like affordable health care, affordable housing, and safe streets.
I realize that a list of promises like this invalidates me as an electable candidate in an era of political correctness, moral relativity, and the need to pander to every splinter group and religious sect. But I think it's what I'd like to hear a real candidate - one that I can support - promise.
I'm not holding my breath.
I leave you with this picture, borrowed from Miss Cellania's blog this morning:
Have a good day. More thoughts tomorrow.
Bilbo
So...assuming I were to run for president, what would I promise (because you can't be a candidate without promising everyone something)?
Hmmm....
A chicken in every pot and a car in every garage? Nah...already done.
Free beer? Well, that'll get me the votes of both my brothers and everyone in my office, but won't really contribute much toward a majority in the Electoral College.
How about something really radical...
I promise, if elected, to talk to - not at - the American people.
In line with the observation that we have two ears and only one mouth, I promise to listen twice as much as I talk.
I promise to follow a foreign policy based on what's best for America...not what's pushed by special interest blocs or advocates of the needs of any other nation.
I promise to use the word illegal at every opportunity when discussing our out-of-control illegal immigration problem.
I promise an administration based on common sense and sound moral principles...not on the tides of political correctness or the dictates of a specific religion.
I promise to focus on the needs of the Real People of America...the ones who go to work every day, care for their families, pay taxes, and worry about Real Issues like affordable health care, affordable housing, and safe streets.
I realize that a list of promises like this invalidates me as an electable candidate in an era of political correctness, moral relativity, and the need to pander to every splinter group and religious sect. But I think it's what I'd like to hear a real candidate - one that I can support - promise.
I'm not holding my breath.
I leave you with this picture, borrowed from Miss Cellania's blog this morning:
Have a good day. More thoughts tomorrow.Bilbo
Tuesday, January 29, 2008
The State of the Union, 2008
No, I didn't listen to Mr Bush's speech last night. If I want to watch engrossing theater, I can wait for the next Hallmark Hall of Fame presentation.
The President is required by Article II, Section 3 of the Constitution to "...from time to time give to the Congress information of the state of the union, and recommend to their consideration such measures as he shall judge necessary and expedient." George Washington gave the first "State of the Union" speech on January 8, 1790; until the address delivered by Woodrow Wilson in 1913, subsequent presidents fulfilled this duty by sending a written report to Congress.
Regardless of how it's done - in person or by letter - the State of the Union report is an important Presidential duty. It directs him (or her) to tell the people how he views the world, what policies he intends to follow, and what direction he intends to take the nation. It is supposed to make the Chief Executive come out and explain to the American people what the government they elected is doing on their behalf.
Of course, as time has gone on, the State of the Union address ("SOTU" in government shorthand) has become less about information and direction and more about fluff and theater. From the introduction of the President by the Sergeant at Arms and the traditional walk down the aisle amid thunderous applause and cheers to the carefully choreographed language which leaves "applause spots" in the text, the State of the Union has become nothing more than an opportunity for political speechifying and a full-employment program for talking heads.
I read the transcript of Mr Bush's speech this morning and found myself utterly unimpressed. The last few paragraphs were the best, but were deprived of real meaning by the very actions of the Bush administration. This is what he said:
"The secret of our strength, the miracle of America, is that our greatness lies not in our government, but in the spirit and determination of our people. When the federal convention met in Philadelphia in 1787, our nation was bound by the Articles of Confederation which began with the words, "We the undersigned delegates." Constitution, he offered an important revision, and opened with words that changed the course of our nation and the history of the world: "We the people."
"By trusting the people, our founders wagered that a great and noble nation could be built on the liberty that resides in the hearts of all men and women. By trusting the people, succeeding generations transformed our fragile young democracy into the most powerful nation on earth and a beacon of hope for millions.
"And so long as we continue to trust the people, our nation will prosper, our liberty will be secure and the state of our union will remain strong."
Unfortunately, this President, and this Congress, don't trust the people.
And, sadly, the feeling is mutual.
You will derive your own lessons and message from the State of the Union address. I encourage you to read it and think about its meaning. Your duty as a citizen is to inform yourself about your government and the actions it takes in your name.
If the President and Congress can't or won't do their duty, at least you can do yours.
Have a good day. More thoughts tomorrow.
Bilbo
P.S. - If you aren't overloaded on political campaign news yet, you may be interested in this editorial from last Sunday's Washington Post. It's the best summary of the major candidates I've seen yet, and worth your time in reading.
B.
The President is required by Article II, Section 3 of the Constitution to "...from time to time give to the Congress information of the state of the union, and recommend to their consideration such measures as he shall judge necessary and expedient." George Washington gave the first "State of the Union" speech on January 8, 1790; until the address delivered by Woodrow Wilson in 1913, subsequent presidents fulfilled this duty by sending a written report to Congress.
Regardless of how it's done - in person or by letter - the State of the Union report is an important Presidential duty. It directs him (or her) to tell the people how he views the world, what policies he intends to follow, and what direction he intends to take the nation. It is supposed to make the Chief Executive come out and explain to the American people what the government they elected is doing on their behalf.
Of course, as time has gone on, the State of the Union address ("SOTU" in government shorthand) has become less about information and direction and more about fluff and theater. From the introduction of the President by the Sergeant at Arms and the traditional walk down the aisle amid thunderous applause and cheers to the carefully choreographed language which leaves "applause spots" in the text, the State of the Union has become nothing more than an opportunity for political speechifying and a full-employment program for talking heads.
I read the transcript of Mr Bush's speech this morning and found myself utterly unimpressed. The last few paragraphs were the best, but were deprived of real meaning by the very actions of the Bush administration. This is what he said:
"The secret of our strength, the miracle of America, is that our greatness lies not in our government, but in the spirit and determination of our people. When the federal convention met in Philadelphia in 1787, our nation was bound by the Articles of Confederation which began with the words, "We the undersigned delegates." Constitution, he offered an important revision, and opened with words that changed the course of our nation and the history of the world: "We the people."
"By trusting the people, our founders wagered that a great and noble nation could be built on the liberty that resides in the hearts of all men and women. By trusting the people, succeeding generations transformed our fragile young democracy into the most powerful nation on earth and a beacon of hope for millions.
"And so long as we continue to trust the people, our nation will prosper, our liberty will be secure and the state of our union will remain strong."
Unfortunately, this President, and this Congress, don't trust the people.
And, sadly, the feeling is mutual.
You will derive your own lessons and message from the State of the Union address. I encourage you to read it and think about its meaning. Your duty as a citizen is to inform yourself about your government and the actions it takes in your name.
If the President and Congress can't or won't do their duty, at least you can do yours.
Have a good day. More thoughts tomorrow.
Bilbo
P.S. - If you aren't overloaded on political campaign news yet, you may be interested in this editorial from last Sunday's Washington Post. It's the best summary of the major candidates I've seen yet, and worth your time in reading.
B.
Monday, January 28, 2008
Did You Notice The Weekend That Just Flew By?
I like to think of myself as a man of contradictions. One of the major ones is that I love to stay busy, but I also love to just sit and read and relax. Agnes does her part to make sure I stay busy and don't have to worry about wasting time sitting and relaxing...one of the phrases I dread hearing is "We need to..." which is Agnes for "Get off your wide, lazy butt and get this done!"
Sometimes, though, Agnes doesn't need any help keeping me busy. This past weekend was a prime example.
After getting home late Friday night after the weekly dance party at Studio One, on Saturday morning we were up at (for a weekend) the very crack of dawn to be able to meet our dance coach at 9:00 AM in Bethesda, Maryland for two hours of work on our International-style dancing. When the coaching session was over, we each hauled a change of clothes out of our carry bags and did a quick change in the rest room, then raced across DC and down into Virginia to get to the 1:00 PM memorial service for one of our acquaintances who had passed away recently.
Well, okay, one doesn't race across Washington, DC, which is where all the extra traffic lights and stop signs that aren't being used elsewhere in the country are stored. We lurched from intersection to intersection, finally arriving at our destination (no particular thanks to Map Quest) at about 12:15 PM.
We'd agreed to help one of our friends set up for the reception after the service, a task complicated by the fact that no one seemed to know quite how many people were going to be there. Agnes and I, our friend, and her brother, did our best imitations of whirling dervishes as we unpacked dishes and silverware, prepared food trays, rushed everything from the downstairs staging area to the upstairs reception room, and tried to estimate the size of the milling crowd.
In the end, we never did make it to the memorial service (although we did hear parts of it through an open door as we frantically tried to organize the reception). We had food and drinks for about 300 people...of whom roughly 100 actually came. Everything came off all right, but it was quite a frantic production right up to the moment everyone started crossing the hall from the church to the reception...and it culminated with more frantic flailing later as we desperately tried to clean everything up for the next group scheduled to use the rooms.
We slept well that night.
Yesterday morning was fairly quiet, and at 3:00 we presented ourselves at Dance Studio Lioudmila to participate in that studio's Winter Showcase. It was quite a large affair, with over 60 amateur and professional dance exhibitions organized in four groups. Agnes and I danced our crowd-pleasing Cha-Cha routine in the third group; Agnes then did a quick change into one of her long gowns to dance an International Tango routine with Phil, one of her students, in the fourth group.
We had a great time, and I even managed to remember our routine and dance it with few mistakes, all of which were recoverable. The best part of the day, though, came after the Showcase - two young children, a little girl of about 3 and a little boy (in trousers, white shirt, and vest) did their own dancing on the now-empty floor...she did a wonderful job of dragging his reluctant form around the room in vague time to the music still playing in the background. I was kicking myself for not bringing my camera!
After all was over, we got home about 9:30...just in time for Agnes to feed Punky while I ironed my shirt for work today. By the time the shirt was done, it was time to take Punky for her final walk of the day.
And then time to collapse into bed.
And here we are again. It's Monday. Punky's ready to go out again, another work week looms, and Mr Bush delivers his final (woo-hoo!) State of the Union address tonight. According to CNN, the speech will run about 42 minutes, but I can't imagine it can take that long to say "awful." Then again, I'm not a politician (with apologies to all the readers who think I should run for president).
I need a vacation.
Well, gotta run. I hope your weekend was pleasant and enjoyable, and that the coming week will be good for you.
Have a good day. More thoughts tomorrow.
Bilbo
P.S. - Thought for the day: "Conservative, n. A statesman who is enamored of existing evils, as distinguished from a liberal, who wishes to replace them with others." - Ambrose Bierce
Sometimes, though, Agnes doesn't need any help keeping me busy. This past weekend was a prime example.
After getting home late Friday night after the weekly dance party at Studio One, on Saturday morning we were up at (for a weekend) the very crack of dawn to be able to meet our dance coach at 9:00 AM in Bethesda, Maryland for two hours of work on our International-style dancing. When the coaching session was over, we each hauled a change of clothes out of our carry bags and did a quick change in the rest room, then raced across DC and down into Virginia to get to the 1:00 PM memorial service for one of our acquaintances who had passed away recently.
Well, okay, one doesn't race across Washington, DC, which is where all the extra traffic lights and stop signs that aren't being used elsewhere in the country are stored. We lurched from intersection to intersection, finally arriving at our destination (no particular thanks to Map Quest) at about 12:15 PM.
We'd agreed to help one of our friends set up for the reception after the service, a task complicated by the fact that no one seemed to know quite how many people were going to be there. Agnes and I, our friend, and her brother, did our best imitations of whirling dervishes as we unpacked dishes and silverware, prepared food trays, rushed everything from the downstairs staging area to the upstairs reception room, and tried to estimate the size of the milling crowd.
In the end, we never did make it to the memorial service (although we did hear parts of it through an open door as we frantically tried to organize the reception). We had food and drinks for about 300 people...of whom roughly 100 actually came. Everything came off all right, but it was quite a frantic production right up to the moment everyone started crossing the hall from the church to the reception...and it culminated with more frantic flailing later as we desperately tried to clean everything up for the next group scheduled to use the rooms.
We slept well that night.
Yesterday morning was fairly quiet, and at 3:00 we presented ourselves at Dance Studio Lioudmila to participate in that studio's Winter Showcase. It was quite a large affair, with over 60 amateur and professional dance exhibitions organized in four groups. Agnes and I danced our crowd-pleasing Cha-Cha routine in the third group; Agnes then did a quick change into one of her long gowns to dance an International Tango routine with Phil, one of her students, in the fourth group.
We had a great time, and I even managed to remember our routine and dance it with few mistakes, all of which were recoverable. The best part of the day, though, came after the Showcase - two young children, a little girl of about 3 and a little boy (in trousers, white shirt, and vest) did their own dancing on the now-empty floor...she did a wonderful job of dragging his reluctant form around the room in vague time to the music still playing in the background. I was kicking myself for not bringing my camera!
After all was over, we got home about 9:30...just in time for Agnes to feed Punky while I ironed my shirt for work today. By the time the shirt was done, it was time to take Punky for her final walk of the day.
And then time to collapse into bed.
And here we are again. It's Monday. Punky's ready to go out again, another work week looms, and Mr Bush delivers his final (woo-hoo!) State of the Union address tonight. According to CNN, the speech will run about 42 minutes, but I can't imagine it can take that long to say "awful." Then again, I'm not a politician (with apologies to all the readers who think I should run for president).
I need a vacation.
Well, gotta run. I hope your weekend was pleasant and enjoyable, and that the coming week will be good for you.
Have a good day. More thoughts tomorrow.
Bilbo
P.S. - Thought for the day: "Conservative, n. A statesman who is enamored of existing evils, as distinguished from a liberal, who wishes to replace them with others." - Ambrose Bierce
Sunday, January 27, 2008
Where You Live, How You Worship
One of my favorite blogs is Strange Maps, which offers a very interesting way to look at the world through our various representations of it. Some are funny, some are downright fascinating, and all are at least worth looking at for the way in which they represent someone's attempt to describe the world around us in just two dimensions. Today, in post #237, is a map of the United States showing the distribution and relative dominance of the eight major Christian denominations in the United States. You should read the complete analysis for yourself and draw your own conclusions, but (of course) I have a few thoughts on it. First, here's the map itself:
And here's my take on it...
One of the things you often hear (especially in an election season, and in the context of the current international situation) is that the United States is a "Christian Nation." This map would seem to prove that graphically, but remember a couple of things.
First, this map shows only the eight major Christian denominations; Buddhists, Jews, Muslims, and others aren't included in the depiction. Granted, the United States is a majority Christian nation, and you probably wouldn't find most of the other religions with enough of a regional majority to show on a map of this scale, but it's useful to remember that there are, in fact, other forms of worship out there.
Second, don't believe the old chestnut that the United States was established as a Christian nation. It wasn't. The Founders came from a Europe that had been wracked by centuries of religious wars, the terrors of the Spanish Inquisition, and the use of religion by rulers to enforce their will on their populations. They weren't having any of that. That's why the Bill of Rights (the first ten amendments to the Constitution) includes - as the very first amendment, no less - these words: "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof."
Think about that for a minute. You could live in a paradise like Saudi Arabia, where it's illegal to show the least outward sign of any religion other than the Wahabi sect of Islam. You could live in a paradise like much of the Middle East, where it's illegal to build a church and where preachers endorse enlightened concepts like female genital mutilation, honor killings, and arranged marriages. The Founders weren't "Christians" according to our current understanding of the term...they believed in a God, yet they included these words in Article VI of the Constitution: "The Senators and Representatives before mentioned, and the Members of the several State Legislatures, and all executive and judicial Officers, both of the United States and of the several States, shall be bound by Oath or Affirmation, to support this Constitution; but no religious Test shall ever be required as a Qualification to any Office or public Trust under the United States."
That's worth thinking about at a time when candidates for office are routinely asked where they worship, if they believe in God, how they stand on issues like abortion, and so on. There's a reason the Founders wrote the Constitution the way they did...they'd seen what the heavy hand of oppressive religious belief could do, and didn't want to see it in the new nation they were trying to create. Any crackpot Muslim imam who wants to reduce women to fully-concealed objects walking three paces behind a man can set up a storefront mosque in this country and try to sell his medieval beliefs to those insecure enough to accept them...but you could be sentenced to death for trying to open a church in most of the Muslim world. And if you're a woman, heaven forbid you should be caught on a Saudi Arabian street wearing something pornographic like a short-sleeved blouse or a knee-length skirt.
Think about it.
Many Muslims in this country would like to see Islamic sharia law accepted alongside our state and federal laws, based on their belief that only God's law (as expressed in the Islamic legal code based on the Koran and the Sunnah (traditions of the time of Mohammed) should apply on earth. This is the law that gives you such punishments as cutting off the hands of thieves and stoning those guilty of adultery.
Think about it.
The United States was not established as a rigidly secular or godless nation, but one whose Founders recognized the dangers inherent in the legalized imposition of specific religious beliefs. The founders recognized the need for the nation to safeguard the rights of all people to worship God in their own way.
Unfortunately, to listen to many candidates for office, and to many of the people organizing political campaigns, the only part of the Constitution that matters is the Second Amendment, not the First.
Think about that as you go to your chosen house of worship today.
Have a good day. More thoughts tomorrow.
Bilbo
And here's my take on it...One of the things you often hear (especially in an election season, and in the context of the current international situation) is that the United States is a "Christian Nation." This map would seem to prove that graphically, but remember a couple of things.
First, this map shows only the eight major Christian denominations; Buddhists, Jews, Muslims, and others aren't included in the depiction. Granted, the United States is a majority Christian nation, and you probably wouldn't find most of the other religions with enough of a regional majority to show on a map of this scale, but it's useful to remember that there are, in fact, other forms of worship out there.
Second, don't believe the old chestnut that the United States was established as a Christian nation. It wasn't. The Founders came from a Europe that had been wracked by centuries of religious wars, the terrors of the Spanish Inquisition, and the use of religion by rulers to enforce their will on their populations. They weren't having any of that. That's why the Bill of Rights (the first ten amendments to the Constitution) includes - as the very first amendment, no less - these words: "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof."
Think about that for a minute. You could live in a paradise like Saudi Arabia, where it's illegal to show the least outward sign of any religion other than the Wahabi sect of Islam. You could live in a paradise like much of the Middle East, where it's illegal to build a church and where preachers endorse enlightened concepts like female genital mutilation, honor killings, and arranged marriages. The Founders weren't "Christians" according to our current understanding of the term...they believed in a God, yet they included these words in Article VI of the Constitution: "The Senators and Representatives before mentioned, and the Members of the several State Legislatures, and all executive and judicial Officers, both of the United States and of the several States, shall be bound by Oath or Affirmation, to support this Constitution; but no religious Test shall ever be required as a Qualification to any Office or public Trust under the United States."
That's worth thinking about at a time when candidates for office are routinely asked where they worship, if they believe in God, how they stand on issues like abortion, and so on. There's a reason the Founders wrote the Constitution the way they did...they'd seen what the heavy hand of oppressive religious belief could do, and didn't want to see it in the new nation they were trying to create. Any crackpot Muslim imam who wants to reduce women to fully-concealed objects walking three paces behind a man can set up a storefront mosque in this country and try to sell his medieval beliefs to those insecure enough to accept them...but you could be sentenced to death for trying to open a church in most of the Muslim world. And if you're a woman, heaven forbid you should be caught on a Saudi Arabian street wearing something pornographic like a short-sleeved blouse or a knee-length skirt.
Think about it.
Many Muslims in this country would like to see Islamic sharia law accepted alongside our state and federal laws, based on their belief that only God's law (as expressed in the Islamic legal code based on the Koran and the Sunnah (traditions of the time of Mohammed) should apply on earth. This is the law that gives you such punishments as cutting off the hands of thieves and stoning those guilty of adultery.
Think about it.
The United States was not established as a rigidly secular or godless nation, but one whose Founders recognized the dangers inherent in the legalized imposition of specific religious beliefs. The founders recognized the need for the nation to safeguard the rights of all people to worship God in their own way.
Unfortunately, to listen to many candidates for office, and to many of the people organizing political campaigns, the only part of the Constitution that matters is the Second Amendment, not the First.
Think about that as you go to your chosen house of worship today.
Have a good day. More thoughts tomorrow.
Bilbo
Saturday, January 26, 2008
Cartoon Saturday
Today is one of those days when I'm going to be busier than the pump handle at a temperance picnic, a one-armed paperhanger, etc. Lots to do. But I wanted to share a few really excellent cartoons I've run across lately that I think may give your day a rise:
This one is far and away the best, given my feelings about the presidential campaign season...
This one is so silly it's great, especially for a hobby chef like me...
You just can't escape the plague of lawyers. I'm reminded of the wonderful Tom Paxton song called "One Million Lawyers"...
Remember when you used to get sick and go to a doctor, who cured you? Now you go to an HMO, which ...
Gotta run. Have a great weekend. More thoughts tomorrow...
Bilbo
This one is far and away the best, given my feelings about the presidential campaign season...
This one is so silly it's great, especially for a hobby chef like me...
You just can't escape the plague of lawyers. I'm reminded of the wonderful Tom Paxton song called "One Million Lawyers"...
Remember when you used to get sick and go to a doctor, who cured you? Now you go to an HMO, which ...
Gotta run. Have a great weekend. More thoughts tomorrow...Bilbo
Friday, January 25, 2008
Bilbo's Economic Stimulus Package
You may have felt the earth shake yesterday when Republicans and Democrats in the House of Representatives actually managed to agree on something other than mutual hatred. In a rare moment of bipartisan teeth-gritting, our esteemed representatives reached agreement on an "economic stimulus package" designed to give the economy a shot in the arm and help counter the cascading effects of continuing economic bad news. Because Republican fingerprints are on it, the "stimulus package" includes tax cuts for businesses; because the Democrats got a vote, it includes direct payments to taxpayers in the form of a one-time tax rebate.
Will this solve our problems? I doubt it. It can't hurt, but I think it's too little to do any good.
Here's Bilbo's Proposed Economic Stimulus Package:
1. Burn all hedge fund managers, stock traders, and similar bottom-dwelling creatures at the stake.
2. Impose the death penalty for stock fraud. Crushing the miscreants under giant piles of loose change would do it.
3. Eliminate all budgetary earmarks and plow the money thus saved back into the operation of the government. It might even be applied to partially pay for the tax rebates!
4. Impose hefty fines on any member of Congress who recommends a spending plan without explaining where the money to pay for it will come from.
5. If Congress is fixated on screwing around with taxes to fix the economy, how about this: make medical expenses 100% deductible, and pay for it by eliminating tax credits for paper losses incurred by individuals and by businesses that are otherwise profitable. Healthy taxpayers will probably work more, being more productive for the economy and thus paying more taxes. Oh, and how about some form of tax credit for businesses that create actual, paying jobs for Real People?
6. Did I mention burning the weasels responsible for economic mismanagement and fraud at the stake?
Okay, I'm not an economist. I don't even play one on TV, and I didn't stay at a Holiday Inn Express last night. But I know, at the level of the Real Person on the street, that something needs to be done. Real People need Real Jobs that pay Real Wages so they can buy Real Products and keep the American economy humming along. It seems to me that if we want low prices, the way to get them isn't to send manufacturing and service jobs overseas ... that just means that Real People won't have Real Jobs to earn Real Money to pay for those low-priced goods.
I'm angry and starting to get incoherent, but I need to swallow it for a while. At least I have a job, and I need to go and do it.
Have a good day. More thoughts tomorrow.
Bilbo
P.S. - a thought from comedienne Paula Poundstone: "The wages of sin may be death, but by the time taxes are taken out, it's just sort of a tired feeling."
I'm tired.
B.
Will this solve our problems? I doubt it. It can't hurt, but I think it's too little to do any good.
Here's Bilbo's Proposed Economic Stimulus Package:
1. Burn all hedge fund managers, stock traders, and similar bottom-dwelling creatures at the stake.
2. Impose the death penalty for stock fraud. Crushing the miscreants under giant piles of loose change would do it.
3. Eliminate all budgetary earmarks and plow the money thus saved back into the operation of the government. It might even be applied to partially pay for the tax rebates!
4. Impose hefty fines on any member of Congress who recommends a spending plan without explaining where the money to pay for it will come from.
5. If Congress is fixated on screwing around with taxes to fix the economy, how about this: make medical expenses 100% deductible, and pay for it by eliminating tax credits for paper losses incurred by individuals and by businesses that are otherwise profitable. Healthy taxpayers will probably work more, being more productive for the economy and thus paying more taxes. Oh, and how about some form of tax credit for businesses that create actual, paying jobs for Real People?
6. Did I mention burning the weasels responsible for economic mismanagement and fraud at the stake?
Okay, I'm not an economist. I don't even play one on TV, and I didn't stay at a Holiday Inn Express last night. But I know, at the level of the Real Person on the street, that something needs to be done. Real People need Real Jobs that pay Real Wages so they can buy Real Products and keep the American economy humming along. It seems to me that if we want low prices, the way to get them isn't to send manufacturing and service jobs overseas ... that just means that Real People won't have Real Jobs to earn Real Money to pay for those low-priced goods.
I'm angry and starting to get incoherent, but I need to swallow it for a while. At least I have a job, and I need to go and do it.
Have a good day. More thoughts tomorrow.
Bilbo
P.S. - a thought from comedienne Paula Poundstone: "The wages of sin may be death, but by the time taxes are taken out, it's just sort of a tired feeling."
I'm tired.
B.
Thursday, January 24, 2008
If You Can't Cry, You Might As Well Laugh
I know, I know ... you're getting tired of hearing me whine about the dearth of quality candidates in the ongoing presidential derby. But it's my blog, and I'll whine if I want to, whine if I want to (sorry, Leslie Gore).
Today, let's take a little different slant on this shabby topic. Here's a collection of good topical quotes and general silliness to take your minds off the depressing pander-fest:
Hungry for good candidates? -
As you listen to all the promises and platitudes, remember this quote from famous American newsman and curmudgeon Henry L. Mencken: "For every complex problem there is an answer that is clear, simple, and wrong."
Tired of so-called debates? Me, too:
Most candidates are masters of torturing unpleasant data until it says what they want it to say, or of cherry-picking the statistics to bolster otherwise questionable arguments. Here's one take on it:
The great American news reporter Edward R. Murrow had this to say about television and elections: "When the politicians complain that TV turns the proceedings into a circus, it should be made clear that the circus was already there, and that TV has merely demonstrated that not all the performers are well trained."
Tired of all the candidates trying to pander to the hard-core religious right? Others are, too:
Don't you wish for a candidate who is up front with you...a candidate you can count on for a consistent stand on the issues, regardless of the audience being addressed? Time to vote for the ultimate candidate (with apologies to H.P. Lovecraft):
And finally, for today, comedienne Lily Tomlin once made this observation, which applies both to the presidential campaign and (unfortunately) to the economy: "Things are going to get a lot worse before they get worse."
Keep a stiff upper lip - only nine more months of this junk.
AARRGGHH!!
Have a good day. More thoughts tomorrow.
Bilbo
Today, let's take a little different slant on this shabby topic. Here's a collection of good topical quotes and general silliness to take your minds off the depressing pander-fest:
Hungry for good candidates? -
As you listen to all the promises and platitudes, remember this quote from famous American newsman and curmudgeon Henry L. Mencken: "For every complex problem there is an answer that is clear, simple, and wrong."
Tired of so-called debates? Me, too:
Most candidates are masters of torturing unpleasant data until it says what they want it to say, or of cherry-picking the statistics to bolster otherwise questionable arguments. Here's one take on it:
The great American news reporter Edward R. Murrow had this to say about television and elections: "When the politicians complain that TV turns the proceedings into a circus, it should be made clear that the circus was already there, and that TV has merely demonstrated that not all the performers are well trained."
Tired of all the candidates trying to pander to the hard-core religious right? Others are, too:
Don't you wish for a candidate who is up front with you...a candidate you can count on for a consistent stand on the issues, regardless of the audience being addressed? Time to vote for the ultimate candidate (with apologies to H.P. Lovecraft):
And finally, for today, comedienne Lily Tomlin once made this observation, which applies both to the presidential campaign and (unfortunately) to the economy: "Things are going to get a lot worse before they get worse."
Keep a stiff upper lip - only nine more months of this junk.
AARRGGHH!!
Have a good day. More thoughts tomorrow.
Bilbo
Wednesday, January 23, 2008
The History Buff, Part 2
Yesterday's ruminations on being a history buff got a few interesting comments.
* The Mistress of the Dark commented that she's always been interested in the royal families of Europe. Andrea, you may be interested in the book Grandmama of Europe: The Crowned Descendents of Queen Victoria, by Theo Aronson...a great and very readable history of the enormous extended family of Queen Victoria.
* Serena Hope, like me, loves European history, but finds world history to be "painful." For what it's worth, I agree..."world history" is just too much to bite off. What I've found is that I started off with an interest in American History, focusing on the World War II era...which led me to the European history of the same period...which led me to the history of the interwar years...which led back to World War I...which led back to ... well ... you get the idea. I'm back to the Revolutionary War in America and the Napoleonic Wars in Europe, and still going strong.
* Amanda noted an interest in the history of the Straits Chinese - the Chinese that married local Malays and adopted the Malaysian culture and language. That sounds interesting, although I have to admit I've never been able to get into Asian history as much as European. Part of it is difficulty in sorting out names in Asian languages (now isn't that an awful thing for a linguist to admit?). My daughter loaned me the book 1421: the Year China Discovered America, by Gavin Menzies, but I haven't yet been able to get into it, although it looks fascinating.
* Captain Picard made the cogent observation that "What we live now is the history of tomorrow." Who knows...someday someone may use what we write in our blogs as source documentation for a social history of this era. Hmmm...maybe I'd better pay more attention to grammar and spelling ...
And finally (as of now),
* Mike told the story of always wanting to see the great film series Victory at Sea, and finally finding it available on Amazon.com, among many other places. I saw this thrilling series many years ago and loved it - especially the stirring orchestral accompaniment. This leads, of course, to the note that The History Channel, The History Channel International, The Military History Channel, The Discovery Channel, and many other television networks offer some great (and some not-so-great) historical programming, much of it available for purchase on tapes and DVDs. Agnes bought me Ken Burns' The War series for Christmas, and I love it.
History. It's not for sissies. And it contains all the drama and adventure you could ever want.
Thanks for the comments, everyone. Keep making your own history.
Have a good day. More thoughts tomorrow.
Bilbo
* The Mistress of the Dark commented that she's always been interested in the royal families of Europe. Andrea, you may be interested in the book Grandmama of Europe: The Crowned Descendents of Queen Victoria, by Theo Aronson...a great and very readable history of the enormous extended family of Queen Victoria.
* Serena Hope, like me, loves European history, but finds world history to be "painful." For what it's worth, I agree..."world history" is just too much to bite off. What I've found is that I started off with an interest in American History, focusing on the World War II era...which led me to the European history of the same period...which led me to the history of the interwar years...which led back to World War I...which led back to ... well ... you get the idea. I'm back to the Revolutionary War in America and the Napoleonic Wars in Europe, and still going strong.
* Amanda noted an interest in the history of the Straits Chinese - the Chinese that married local Malays and adopted the Malaysian culture and language. That sounds interesting, although I have to admit I've never been able to get into Asian history as much as European. Part of it is difficulty in sorting out names in Asian languages (now isn't that an awful thing for a linguist to admit?). My daughter loaned me the book 1421: the Year China Discovered America, by Gavin Menzies, but I haven't yet been able to get into it, although it looks fascinating.
* Captain Picard made the cogent observation that "What we live now is the history of tomorrow." Who knows...someday someone may use what we write in our blogs as source documentation for a social history of this era. Hmmm...maybe I'd better pay more attention to grammar and spelling ...
And finally (as of now),
* Mike told the story of always wanting to see the great film series Victory at Sea, and finally finding it available on Amazon.com, among many other places. I saw this thrilling series many years ago and loved it - especially the stirring orchestral accompaniment. This leads, of course, to the note that The History Channel, The History Channel International, The Military History Channel, The Discovery Channel, and many other television networks offer some great (and some not-so-great) historical programming, much of it available for purchase on tapes and DVDs. Agnes bought me Ken Burns' The War series for Christmas, and I love it.
History. It's not for sissies. And it contains all the drama and adventure you could ever want.
Thanks for the comments, everyone. Keep making your own history.
Have a good day. More thoughts tomorrow.
Bilbo
Tuesday, January 22, 2008
The History Buff
The end of another long weekend is here. Sigh.
One of the nice things about working for the government (or as a contractor for the government) is that you get Federal holidays off. And since most Federal holidays are arranged so as to fall on a Friday or Monday to allow for a three-day weekend (one thing our government has done right), that's a nice thing. Of course, a three-day weekend just means that we work on chores at home rather than stuff at the office, but it's the principle of the thing, you know.
Anyhow, I wanted to talk today about history, because I'm a history buff.
There are any number of things I think are fascinating. One of them, as you already know, is language: the idea that I can make these marks on a page (okay, screen) and you can understand what I mean when you read them, or that I can make noises shaped by my lungs, diaphragm, sinuses, tongue, and nose, and you know what they mean and respond. To me, that's just amazing.
Another thing I find fascinating is history. Not the dull, dry history of remembering and regurgitating the fact that the Peace of Westphalia was signed in 1648, but that real people, people like you and I, lived through the events that led up to it. Happily, we're living in a time when there is a lot of great narrative history being written...history that makes the past come alive in a way that many of the fat, dreaded history texts of my high school years couldn't.
Military history is one of my particular interests, and the works of Cornelius Ryan (The Longest Day, A Bridge Too Far, etc) and, more recently, Rick Atkinson (An Army At Dawn and Day of Battle), bring the struggle of armies and the innocents caught in the crossfire into sharp focus. Social and political history can be fascinating, too, in the hands of someone like Doris Kearns Goodwin (No Ordinary Time) and Mark Bowden (Guests of the Ayatollah). American history is being well served by great writers and historians like David McCullough (John Adams) and Nathaniel Philbrick (Mayflower).
History, well-researched, well-interpreted and -written by a good historian, is a window into a fascinating world, most of which we've never seen and only the smallest fraction of which we've lived through and on which we have our own perspectives.
The philosopher George Santayana once said that those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it. There's also a danger of remembering the past and drawing the wrong lessons from it. The fascinating book Thinking in Time: The Uses of History for Decision Makers, by Richard Neustadt and Ernest May, offers cautionary stories of misguided (or outright disastrous) decisions made by leaders who misinterpreted the lessons of history.
History. It's not just for elderly professors with droning voices, leather patches on their jacket elbows, and dust in their hair. You're living it now. You'll find learning about it interesting. Give it a shot.
Have a good day. More thoughts tomorrow.
Bilbo
One of the nice things about working for the government (or as a contractor for the government) is that you get Federal holidays off. And since most Federal holidays are arranged so as to fall on a Friday or Monday to allow for a three-day weekend (one thing our government has done right), that's a nice thing. Of course, a three-day weekend just means that we work on chores at home rather than stuff at the office, but it's the principle of the thing, you know.
Anyhow, I wanted to talk today about history, because I'm a history buff.
There are any number of things I think are fascinating. One of them, as you already know, is language: the idea that I can make these marks on a page (okay, screen) and you can understand what I mean when you read them, or that I can make noises shaped by my lungs, diaphragm, sinuses, tongue, and nose, and you know what they mean and respond. To me, that's just amazing.
Another thing I find fascinating is history. Not the dull, dry history of remembering and regurgitating the fact that the Peace of Westphalia was signed in 1648, but that real people, people like you and I, lived through the events that led up to it. Happily, we're living in a time when there is a lot of great narrative history being written...history that makes the past come alive in a way that many of the fat, dreaded history texts of my high school years couldn't.
Military history is one of my particular interests, and the works of Cornelius Ryan (The Longest Day, A Bridge Too Far, etc) and, more recently, Rick Atkinson (An Army At Dawn and Day of Battle), bring the struggle of armies and the innocents caught in the crossfire into sharp focus. Social and political history can be fascinating, too, in the hands of someone like Doris Kearns Goodwin (No Ordinary Time) and Mark Bowden (Guests of the Ayatollah). American history is being well served by great writers and historians like David McCullough (John Adams) and Nathaniel Philbrick (Mayflower).
History, well-researched, well-interpreted and -written by a good historian, is a window into a fascinating world, most of which we've never seen and only the smallest fraction of which we've lived through and on which we have our own perspectives.
The philosopher George Santayana once said that those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it. There's also a danger of remembering the past and drawing the wrong lessons from it. The fascinating book Thinking in Time: The Uses of History for Decision Makers, by Richard Neustadt and Ernest May, offers cautionary stories of misguided (or outright disastrous) decisions made by leaders who misinterpreted the lessons of history.
History. It's not just for elderly professors with droning voices, leather patches on their jacket elbows, and dust in their hair. You're living it now. You'll find learning about it interesting. Give it a shot.
Have a good day. More thoughts tomorrow.
Bilbo
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