Problem solved

I had an idle thought yesterday morning…Oh! Oh! I probably should have left it alone, but it grew into something more than just a few stray synapses firing in my brain. So here it is…

Let’s get rid of state governments. What do we need them for? What is different about the needs of John in Iowa and the needs of Fred in Maine? Nothing substantial. (Besides, if you don’t look out the window, all the states look alike!) In fact we could rid ourselves of county government as well. We could make cities responsible for all local concerns and that is as it should be. The federal government would handle all of the housekeeping chores for us. I can hear you already…”big government is too big already!” but consider that by ridding ourselves of states and counties, we rid ourselves of 2 levels of government that are usually duplicating the efforts of the federal government anyway. Take the salaries and costs of the state legislature and apply it to health care or highway construction. Problem solved!

This idle thought came to me because I was thinking about the proposed pedestrian bridge widening on the Capitol Bridge in Sacramento. No, it doesn’t affect me at all, but it does demonstrate how government costs us more and more with each layer of it. The proposal to widen the pedestrian walkway was originally estimated to cost the taxpayers about 3 million dollars. Then the plan was reviewed and then reviewed again and again as one agency after another decided they had some interest in the project. The so called “final” estimate is now 9 million dollars. Want to bet it doesn't go to 18 million before the first pedestrian sets foot on it?

World War III

I just read the daily news and I see that World War III continues. For some odd reason, a lot of the people in Iraq are unhappy with our presence in their country. The fact that we seem to bring even more death and destruction with us might be the reason for their dislike for democracy as we have presented it to them. What they want is some one to stop the killing, a strong figure that they can turn to for guidance and one to lead them out of this horror that seems to be engulfing their country.

In our own country, some people have tunnel vision when it comes to a discussion of an alternative to democracy for Iraq. Ask an anthropologist; it’s a fact that democracy is not the preferred method of governance among primitive people. Doesn’t that tell us anything? I think I can safely say that the majority of people in Iraq are primitive. Even more so in Afghanistan. Tribalism has a very strong grip on the people and until you educate them, it always will. Evil hates knowledge. And education is the key to defeating evil. Give them a king, an emperor, a dictator…but give them education as well and democracy can then grow in fertile soil. Until the people have knowledge, you might as well be planting in the sands of the desert.

Does that seem wrong to you? Look at America’s history and imagine a country without the educated leaders and middle class we had at that time. Imagine a country filled with yeoman farmers with a minimal education. Do you really think they would have chosen democracy over the safe relationship they had with a distant king? At the time of our own revolution, education already had a history. Yale University was already 75 years old and had almost that many graduating classes. Harvard had been established in 1636! That is 140 years of education before the events of 1776. Education was already a part of the fabric of American life long before we chose democracy.

Left, right, left...hup two, three, four

In case you hadn’t noticed…the right wing has been doing their very best to demonize the word “liberal” and I must admit that they are doing a good job of it. People who should know better equate “liberal” with all manner of nonsense…all wrong of course. Education is what is needed; that and those of us who are liberal need to be proud of the fact and not hide behind the term “progressive”.

Just read these two definitions from the American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language: Fourth Edition. 2000.

Conservative
Favoring traditional views and values; tending to oppose change. 2. Traditional or restrained in style: a conservative dark suit. 3. Moderate; cautious: a conservative estimate. 4a. Of or relating to the political philosophy of conservatism. b. Belonging to a conservative party, group, or movement. 5. Conservative Of or belonging to the Conservative Party in the United Kingdom or the Progressive Conservative Party in Canada. 6. Conservative Of or adhering to Conservative Judaism. 7. Tending to conserve; preservative: the conservative use of natural resources.
SYNONYMS: Traditional, conventional, conformist, unadventurous, old-fashioned, traditionalist, old-school
ANTONYM: Avant-garde

Liberal
SYLLABICATION: lib·er·al
ADJECTIVE: 1a. Not limited to or by established, traditional, orthodox, or authoritarian attitudes, views, or dogmas; free from bigotry. b. Favoring proposals for reform, open to new ideas for progress, and tolerant of the ideas and behavior of others; broad-minded. c. Of, relating to, or characteristic of liberalism. d. Liberal Of, designating, or characteristic of a political party founded on or associated with principles of social and political liberalism, especially in Great Britain, Canada, and the United States. 2a. Tending to give freely; generous: a liberal benefactor. b. Generous in amount; ample: a liberal serving of potatoes. 3. Not strict or literal; loose or approximate: a liberal translation. 4. Of, relating to, or based on the traditional arts and sciences of a college or university curriculum: a liberal education. 5a. Archaic Permissible or appropriate for a person of free birth; befitting a lady or gentleman. b. Obsolete Morally unrestrained; licentious.
NOUN: 1. A person with liberal ideas or opinions. 2. Liberal A member of a Liberal political party.
SYNONYMS: liberal, bounteous, bountiful, freehanded, generous, handsome, munificent, openhanded These adjectives mean willing or marked by a willingness to give unstintingly: a liberal backer of the arts; a bounteous feast; bountiful compliments; a freehanded host; a generous donation; a handsome offer; a munificent gift; fond and openhanded grandparents. See also synonyms at broad-minded.
ANTONYM: stingy

Hey! I didn’t write those definitions…but I could have. Now do what is right and turn to the left. You will be a much happier person for it.

Oil facts

Oil is on everyone’s mind these days. I think the barrel price went to $52 sometime yesterday afternoon. That will translate to something like $2.35 a gallon at the local gas station.

Before I go further with this, a fact or two, starting with Supertankers; An Ultra Large Crude Carrier (ULCC) can carry 360,000 tons of oil, or more. A 42 gallon barrel weighs 315 pounds (more or less…some oil is heavier). 360,000 tons is 720,000,000 pounds and divide that by the weight of the barrels and the tanker carries 2,285,714.29 barrels of oil. This is worth $118,857,142.86…Whew! And to add to those numbers – we consume 17,000,000 barrels a day. Let’s see 17 million times $52, equals a daily oil bill of $884,000,000. And we need about 9 of those ULCC’s a day. And if the price of a barrel goes down 10 cents while the ship is sailing, the seller loses $228,571.43

OK, now you know more than you wanted to know about oil and its price. But what I really wanted to write about was how we are wasting oil. A good friend of mine and a brilliant mind as well…once told me that our grandchildren would one day condemn our generation and those past for how we wasted precious oil by burning it in automobiles and burning it for heat. Then he talked about all of the other uses for oil that we have just begun to explore…Not just plastics, but super plastics, structural plastics. Many pharmaceuticals are petroleum based. His list of uses and possible uses went on and on.

I understand that our petroleum usage is now divided up at 40% for other use and 60% for transportation. So saving gas is more than just an exercise to help you balance your personal budget, its giving a gift to your grandchildren.

Want to know more statistics about oil?
http://www.oilcrisis.com/debate/oilcalcs.htm

Super tankers?http://www.wcsscience.com/supertanker/page.html

Politics - as usual

It's politics once again, but with a twist...

I simply can’t get excited (positively) about the candidates. I detest the policies of the Bush administration, and Kerry doesn’t hold out the promise of anything different. I sometimes feel that this growing dislike of the candidates and politics “as usual” is a generational symptom. Growing up, I was fascinated by the election process that included national conventions of the two parties. I would listen to the radio with my mother and join in her excitement as the candidates made their pitch to the all powerful delegates. Votes would be cast and then cast again as the balance of power was swayed by the behind the scenes machinations of the party bosses.

Yes, we listened to the radio. We didn’t have a television till sometime in the early 1950’s and so the first conventions and election I remember was that of the Harry Truman versus Thomas Dewey contest in 1948.

What is different about today’s politics? I may be over reacting, but the level of animosity disturbs me. Mainly, because I find it too easy to fall into the trap of being just as angry, or angrier, as those who don’t agree with me.

Of course I am disturbed; it’s normal for my Type Index. I’m an INFP and here are some key points about that type.

INFP’s do not like conflict, and go to great lengths to avoid it. If they must face it, they will always approach it from the perspective of their feelings. In conflict situations, INFP’s place little importance on who is right and who is wrong. They focus on the way that the conflict makes them feel, and indeed don't really care whether or not they're right.

INFPs do not like to deal with hard facts and logic. Their focus on their feelings and the Human Condition makes it difficult for them to deal with impersonal judgment. They don't understand or believe in the validity of impersonal judgment, which makes them naturally rather ineffective at using it. Most INFP’s will avoid impersonal analysis, although some have developed this ability and are able to be quite logical. Under stress, it's not uncommon for INFP’s to mis-use hard logic in the heat of anger, throwing out fact after (often inaccurate) fact in an emotional outburst.

It’s not all negative…here are some positives about being an INFP.
Most INFP’s will exhibit the following strengths with regards to relationship issues:
· Warmly concerned and caring towards others
· Sensitive and perceptive about what others are feeling
· Loyal and committed - they want lifelong relationships
· Deep capacity for love and caring
· Driven to meet other's needs
· Strive for "win-win" situations
· Nurturing, supportive and encouraging
· Likely to recognize and appreciate other's need for space
· Able to express themselves well
· Flexible and diverse

Moral Relativism and Strauss

Good article and well worth reading.

Moral Relativism and Strauss…the Bush/Perle/Wolfowitz Neocon connection to a dead philosopher.
http://www.counterpunch.org/frachon06022003.html

Mira Costa

An odd thing happened as I was Googling “Mira Costa” the other day. That is the name of the high school I attended and graduated from in 1958. Anyway, in the Google results I spotted a name that sounded familiar so I investigated…it was Gary North, a Libertarian writer of some repute. So I took a look at my copy of Hoofprints, the Mira Costa annual. In my class there was a Gary South, but I did find Gary North’s name and picture in the class of 1959. (No, I don’t remember any Gary West or East, but there could have been in later years…)

And today I saw a column of Gary’s on the LewRockwell.com website; a somewhat radical Libertarian site. (They don’t like much of anything…) After reading his column, I began to wonder about the education I had received. Was I as stubborn and opinionated as Mr. North? I decided that, yes, I was…but about entirely different things. Maybe it was the salt air of Manhattan Beach that had warped our minds in some way.

A link –

http://www.lewrockwell.com/north/north-arch.html

Good news

We enjoyed a good sermon yesterday and then returned to church at 6 for the evening service, which was even more enjoyable. I can tell you that although the sermon was on Ephesians 6:10, it was the words I found in Ephesians 4 that held the most meaning for me yesterday. For simplicity, I am using the Good News Bible version here…

Eph 4:2 Be always humble, gentle, and patient. Show your love by being tolerant with one another.
Eph 4:3 Do your best to preserve the unity which the Spirit gives by means of the peace that binds you together.
Eph 4:4 There is one body and one Spirit, just as there is one hope to which God has called you.
Eph 4:5 There is one Lord, one faith, one baptism;
Eph 4:6 there is one God and Father of all people, who is Lord of all, works through all, and is in all.
Eph 4:7 Each one of us has received a special gift in proportion to what Christ has given.
Eph 4:8 As the scripture says, "When he went up to the very heights, he took many captives with him; he gave gifts to people."
Eph 4:9 Now, what does "he went up" mean? It means that first he came down to the lowest depths of the earth.
Eph 4:10 So the one who came down is the same one who went up, above and beyond the heavens, to fill the whole universe with his presence.
Eph 4:11 It was he who "gave gifts to people"; he appointed some to be apostles, others to be prophets, others to be evangelists, others to be pastors and teachers.
Eph 4:12 He did this to prepare all God's people for the work of Christian service, in order to build up the body of Christ.
Eph 4:13 And so we shall all come together to that oneness in our faith and in our knowledge of the Son of God; we shall become mature people, reaching to the very height of Christ's full stature.
Eph 4:14 Then we shall no longer be children, carried by the waves and blown about by every shifting wind of the teaching of deceitful people, who lead others into error by the tricks they invent.
Eph 4:15 Instead, by speaking the truth in a spirit of love, we must grow up in every way to Christ, who is the head.
Eph 4:16 Under his control all the different parts of the body fit together, and the whole body is held together by every joint with which it is provided. So when each separate part works as it should, the whole body grows and builds itself up through love.
Eph 4:17 In the Lord's name, then, I warn you: do not continue to live like the heathen, whose thoughts are worthless
Eph 4:18 and whose minds are in the dark. They have no part in the life that God gives, for they are completely ignorant and stubborn.
Eph 4:19 They have lost all feeling of shame; they give themselves over to vice and do all sorts of indecent things without restraint.
Eph 4:20 That was not what you learned about Christ!
Eph 4:21 You certainly heard about him, and as his followers you were taught the truth that is in Jesus.
Eph 4:22 So get rid of your old self, which made you live as you used to---the old self that was being destroyed by its deceitful desires.
Eph 4:23 Your hearts and minds must be made completely new,
Eph 4:24 and you must put on the new self, which is created in God's likeness and reveals itself in the true life that is upright and holy.
Eph 4:25 No more lying, then! Each of you must tell the truth to the other believer, because we are all members together in the body of Christ.
Eph 4:26 If you become angry, do not let your anger lead you into sin, and do not stay angry all day.
Eph 4:27 Don't give the Devil a chance.
Eph 4:28 If you used to rob, you must stop robbing and start working, in order to earn an honest living for yourself and to be able to help the poor.
Eph 4:29 Do not use harmful words, but only helpful words, the kind that build up and provide what is needed, so that what you say will do good to those who hear you.
Eph 4:30 And do not make God's Holy Spirit sad; for the Spirit is God's mark of ownership on you, a guarantee that the Day will come when God will set you free.
Eph 4:31 Get rid of all bitterness, passion, and anger. No more shouting or insults, no more hateful feelings of any sort.
Eph 4:32 Instead, be kind and tender-hearted to one another, and forgive one another, as God has forgiven you through Christ.

Recently, I have been worried about the anger I have felt about all things political and so these words are comforting. I can certainly be angry, but what I have to guard against is hate, malice and bitterness. Now I wonder about all of those politicians that profess to know Christ. They obviously need our prayers. Just as I need the prayers of the rest of the body.

New math

Although it is still dark, I suppose it is time to go outside and look for the newspapers…World War III continues and I don’t want to miss the news.

OK, I did read the newspaper (local) and found an article that described some of the key parts of the $139 billion dollar tax cutting bill that *bush signed on Friday. There had to be something suspect about the bill as he didn’t invite the press to witness the signing. Since he signed the bill at an altitude of 30,000 feet while flying aboard Air force One, it was necessarily a pretty low key affair and during an election year, that is always suspicious. According to the article, one of the bill’s features is a $10 billion dollar aid package for tobacco farmers. This is the part that grabbed my attention. As you may know, there is no one more vindictive than a former addict and I am no exception.

First, one of the reasons that this caught my eye was a comment I heard recently (radio) from the lips of Doug LaMalfa, incumbent candidate for the State Assembly. He said, in essence, that tobacco was a legal product and shouldn’t be unduly taxed. I was troubled by this statement and had to question it. First, why is it a legal product? It’s a product that will kill you if you use it as the manufacturer intends you to use it. Smoke it, chew it, or use it as a poultice…it will kill. The only reason it is a legal product is because it is a moneymaker for both manufacturers and those who make the laws. It should be declared an illegal drug. But it would take a lawmaker with moral backbone to try and push such a bill into law. We don’t have any of those available at the moment.

Last, was the statement from the administration that this $139,000,000,000,000 wouldn’t increase the huge budget deficit that we now have. Let me see if I understand this…you cut taxes but they don’t appear as negative numbers in your budget? If this is true, why didn’t the administration use this kind of math with the first tax cuts?

More newspaper stuff

Todays newspaper also had another dose of reality for the right wing conservatives to chew on. It seems that the people of Iraq want a theocracy and not a democracy. No kidding! The US selected government of Allawi is behind in all of the polls now. Who would have guessed?

One more bit of reality to ponder. A column written by Leonard Pitts Jr. (Miami Herald) had this to say…”Pat Robertson tried to give President Bush some advise about the coming invasion of Iraq…he told CNN on Wednesday that he advised Bush to prepare the nation for the likelihood of casualties. Bush’s reply? “we're not going to have any casualties” That was 9,100 – dead and wounded – American casualties later.”

Here is a link to that column (Detroit Free Press)

http://www.freep.com/voices/columnists/-pitts22e_20041022.htm

His own words

I just finished reading the newspaper and I have a smile on my face. (Now that is rare!) One of the reasons for the smile is this little gem from a letter to the editor. “…I disagree with President Bush on several issues, but when it comes to the security of America – and of my own family – it’s a no-brainer. I’m voting for Bush.” Ah, truer words were never spoken!

Get Your Facts Straight

I just read an interesting article from PIPA (PIPA is a joint program of the Center on Policy Attitudes (COPA) and the Center for International and Security Studies at Maryland (CISSM), School of Public Affairs, University of Maryland. ) Take a look at it...it’s a short article but long on substance. And it scares me.
http://www.pipa.org/OnlineReports/Pres_Election_04/html/new_10_21_04.html#1

I still find it amazing that Bush supporters can’t seem to consider any other views. Their minds are made up and they don’t want to be bothered by facts.

All of which leads me to post this joke that arrived in my mailbox a few minutes ago…

It seems the 2004 election was so close that the Electoral College vote was tied, and Congress couldn't break the deadlock, and the Supreme Court decided they'd better not make the decision themselves again.

So they sent Bush and Kerry to a frozen lake in northern Wisconsin to have an ice fishing contest. No one was allowed to accompany them, and they were on their honor to let the guy who caught the most fish in five days become president.

On the first day they went out in different directions. Kerry came back with ten fish. Bush caught none.

On the second day, Kerry caught twenty fish and again W came back empty handed.

When Kerry brought back 25 fish on day three and W still hadn't any, Bush got worried and telephoned Cheney for advice. "He's probably cheating," suggested the VP. "I hadn't thought of that," said W. "You're probably right. What do we do?"

Cheney suggested that, instead of going fishing the next day, Bush follow Kerry to see what he was doing.

At the end of day four, Bush called Cheney up and told him, "You were right, Dick, the jerk is cheating!"

"What's he doing?" asked Cheney.

"He's cuttin' holes in the ice!"

No, there is no connection between the article and this joke.

Oh, no!

First, the weather...Summer is gone. Disappeared. Rain has replaced sunshine and the heater has turned on for the first time this year.

Today is an auspicious day for us as sometime this afternoon we will be connected once again. Yes, I did it; I called the satellite service and signed up for service. After 5 months without a daily dose of televised reality, we are now willing to sacrifice our minds to the media gods.

No, no…I’m just joking. We are connecting but I’m determined to use the television for therapeutic means only. That means that I will block all of the network news, sports channels and Fox news. That leaves me with only the good stuff to watch! And it allows me to fall asleep while watching. (That is the therapy I mentioned)

I know this is a dangerous time to connect and it would be safer to do it after November 2nd. But, I had stalled long enough. We had already paid an electrician to prepare a space in a bedroom closet for the television, installing power and cable. And he had finished that work about two weeks ago. I couldn’t ignore it any longer and so I ordered the service on Monday, hoping that they would be so busy I wouldn’t be connected till next year. But no, they had this afternoon free and so we made the decision to rejoin the media world. But notice that we are putting the television in a closet. That means that we can always close the closet door if we need to.

One of us

“He’s one of us!” That’s the campaign slogan of a local assemblyman (Doug LaMalfa) and I have to admit that it is one of the best slogans I have ever heard. It’s certainly a one size-fits all slogan. How can you argue with it? It doesn’t make anyone mad. In fact, it’s the friendliest political slogan I ever heard. Everybody has to identify with him; after all…he’s one of us! Are you a whiskey crazed tattooed biker with strong anti social tendencies? No problem. Doug is your man. How about an illegal immigrant unemployed teenaged mother on drugs? Once again, Doug is your guy. I mean, after all – he said it. He’s one of us and I for one am very grateful. Now if I could only figure out who “us” are.

Oxymoron - political ethics

In the news this morning...

"A Pennsylvania court struck Ralph Nader's name from the state's ballot yesterday, declaring that nearly two-thirds of the signatures on his nominating petitions were invalid or had been forged in what the court called an unparalleled case of election fraud.

The decision, if upheld, could significantly change the equation in Pennsylvania, a swing state with 21 electoral votes. Polls show President Bush and Senator John Kerry in a dead heat, with Mr. Nader attracting about 3 percent of the electorate there. Republicans were helping him in the hope he would take votes from Mr. Kerry.. Democrats had led the challenge to the Nader signatures."

Are you surprised? And Pennsylvania is not the only state where Republicans have been engaged in this kind of activity. It just happens to be a state where someone was willing to do something about it.

I don't know about you, but just being around people like that would make me want to take more showers. How do they justify their actions?

Debate

Tonight is the night for the final debate between Bush and Kerry...more rhetoric than substance will be flowing into the nations homes. Who will believe them and what will they believe? The race is tied according to most polls...why?

I don’t understand it. It defies logic; admittedly it is my logic. Why would you vote for Bush? What has he done that makes you so eager to vote for him? He admits that he has made no mistakes. Or he can’t remember any…doesn’t that scare you? A resolute leader? Is that what you want? One who will march this nation off a cliff while being resolute? I don’t know about you, but I want a president that questions himself and everyone around him…every single day! I want a president that is brave enough to admit a mistake. We now have the largest budget deficit on record. The size of government has increased to record numbers, despite Bush’s vow of smaller government. He is the only president that did not cut the budget upon taking office. The list of his mistakes, failures and broken promises goes on and on.

Will Kerry do a better job? I have no idea…but I can see Bush’s track record and I know I don’t want any more of his kind of government. Kerry is a politician and will say whatever it takes to become elected. Just as Bush does. But I know Bush’s record and it scares me. Voting for Bush? If he wins I guess you will get exactly what you deserve.

Here is a good article from Salon that makes an argument for conservatives to vote for Kerry.
http://www.salon.com/opinion/feature/2004/09/10/conservatives/index_np1.html

No laughing matter

Have you seen the Doonesbury cartoons in the paper recently? Well, if you hadn’t taken the time to get a magnifying glass, you might not have noticed the URL’s printed as part of the text. I took the time to find the cartoons on the internet and then could read the text…Here are the URL’s referenced in today’s panels and the one from yesterday as well. I would like to have pasted the actual panels here, but copyright laws might be cited if I tried that. You will have to find the comics on your own. Or you could try this link.

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story2&u=/uclickcomics/20041011/cx_db_uc/db20041011&e=2


http://www.poynter.org/column.asp?id=45&aid=72659

http://www.theunionleader.com/Articles_show.html?article=44657&archive=1

Memories

Some memories of our recent trip..."We had a good day yesterday, going to Seattle by ferry and then touring the underground portion of Seattle. A good lunch and a short walk back to the pier for our ride back to the island. And, this morning, that has brought up the subject of taxation. Apparently the ferry system is out of money and some runs are in danger of being shut down, including the “foot” ferry we took from Vashon to downtown Seattle. There were probably no more than 40 people on board during the 25 minute trip. That trip costs the rider about $4. I think it’s obvious that $4 multiplied by the 40 riders is not enough to pay for the fuel the vessel, the crew and the facilities. I’m not even certain that a fare of $10 would cover that cost. But what is the ferry worth to the common good of the citizenry? As good citizens, shouldn’t we pay, through our taxes , whatever is needed for the common good? Does every service of the state have to show black ink on the bottom line? I say no. The ferry provides a service for all citizens. We may or may not avail ourselves of it. But we should not deprive others of that service just because the costs are going to be part of our taxes.

Here is a scenario to think about; a baby, not mine, needs milk. The mother has no money, so I gladly chip in something to buy the milk. A few days later, the farmer has to raise the price of the milk because the price of hay goes up because the price of fuel for the tractor went up. Do I stop feeding the baby? Is it the fault of the baby that my share of the milk money will cost me more? No, I don’t. And yes, I know that’s very simplistic on my part, but it demonstrates clearly how I feel.

I just happen to be pro taxation. I think that citizens have an obligation to ensure that all of the citizens are taken care of. That no one goes without food or shelter and that health care and education are available for all. I’m sure those on the right side of the political fence would call me a communist or a socialist. If you are so inclined, go right ahead. It certainly won’t bother me. I prefer to think that I’m a “humanist” if you must have a label.

If I’m pro taxation, then I must be anti something…and I happen to be opposed to those who would waste my tax dollars on anything other than the public good. For instance, how can anyone defend a congress that uses our taxes to subsidize farmers to raise tobacco and then turns around and spends our tax money to combat the use of that product? Why aren’t these people in jail for theft? If not theft, how about gross stupidity?

As obvious as the tobacco tax theft is, there are many, many more, less obvious instances of tax theft going on every day that congress meets. It happens in the state houses and in the city halls. If you are angry about taxes, this is where your anger should be focused, not on the taxes themselves. With taxes that are administered fairly and spent with oversight that is also fair and balanced, we would be able to lower taxes."

Now for the scary part of my posting...Did you know that the Washington Ferry system is the possible target of a terrorist attack? Security has been increased on all runs, with explosive sniffing dogs checking all vehicles.

Just a little thing

Despite our best intentions, it’s sometimes the little things that do us` in. Take for instance the interview I listened to today on NPR. (Yes, that conservative station…) The interviewee? was explaining that once you’re out of the Green Zone in Baghdad, the traffic is out of control. Speeders abound and accidents happen occur constantly. Traffic anarchy was his description of the motorized chaos. Someone, in the powers that be, thought to fix this situation by giving the Iraqi’s a new vehicle code. He gave them Maryland’s. It seems that the police took one look at the new vehicle code and threw up their hands. All enforcement attempts disappeared. And one of the tools that Iraq’s police force has used for years has been outlawed now. The acceptance of bribes. It seems that we don’t approve of this time honored method of dealing out justice in the Middle East. Tell me again how we are going to make democracy work…

Life on the farm

I have a lot of chores to do and I’m starting to feel the pressure of that. I need to get one thing accomplished and that is all it will take to ease the pressure. Which will it be? I should concentrate on the painting and trim for our Study (we used to call it our office), as that is something that can be accomplished without having to buy more material. Or…I could build the storage closet in the garage so that I could put even more stuff away. But that project may require a trip to Lowe’s for more drywall and trim. Or…I could install the new faucet and instant water heater in the kitchen sink. That would make Laurae happy. Or…I could borrow some hedge trimmers and finish the hedge cutting. (my trimmer broke) Or…I could install the two new sprinkler heads I bought to replace the ailing ones. Or…I could mow the front yard and the orchard. And of course the walnuts continue to fall as the wind shakes the trees, all demanding attention as well. The wind is a little bit lighter this morning. Maybe I can clean the pool today. The leaves and rose petals were littering the surface yesterday and I couldn’t remove them as fast as they were falling. As you can see, I have plenty to do! And I haven't even mentioned the hobbies that I would like to get involved in again...once the chores are complete.

I guess I spoke too soon about the wind as it has returned once more, with vigor. It’s too dark to see, but I imagine that there are hundreds of walnuts on the ground now. Not that that is a bad thing; on the contrary, “on the ground” is where you want them. The chore of harvesting is lessened when the wind does part of your work. The work now begins with picking them up and sorting the good ones from the bad. Then it will be the cracking and extracting of the nut meats. And after the wind dies down, I will have to shake all the limbs where the nuts remain, trying to convince the last stubborn nuts to make the plunge.

I am convinced that one walnut tree will give you enough walnuts for an eternity of nibbling. Yes, hundreds upon hundreds of nuts are produced by one tree. And I have 6 of those trees. Three of them are mature trees, at least 20 feet tall. The other three are younger and smaller. But they are doing their best to emulate the older trees by producing as many nuts as possible.

The life of a “gentleman farmer” is not as easy as I once envisioned it. The darn plants grow and grow, like crazy! I have two trees filled with pomegranates that are beckoning for my attention. Also, I have a persimmon tree that is loaded with ripening fruit. My garden, which is minimal this year, competes with the orchard for my time. The cherry tomatoes, which I love, grow and deliver fruit at an astounding rate. Will they ever stop? The only plants that leisurely do their work are the pumpkins. We have a dozen assorted pumpkins growing and they won’t be ready for about a month. And that’s a good thing!

Retirement. Only the brave and the strong should apply...

Tsk, tsk...the things people say (or said)

“I believe demolishing Hussein’s military power and liberating Iraq would be a cakewalk.” – Defense Policy Board member Ken Adelman, 2/13/02

“Simply stated, there is no doubt that Saddam Hussein now has weapons of mass destruction.” – Vice President Dick Cheney, 8/26/02

“We do know that (Saddam) is actively pursuing a nuclear weapon.” – National Security Advisor Condoleezza Rice, 9/10/02

“It is not knowable how long that conflict would last. It could last, you know, six days, six weeks. I doubt six months.” - Secretary of War Donald Rumsfeld, 2/7/03

“My belief is, we will, in fact, be greeted as liberators.” – Vice President Dick Cheney, 3/16/03

“We’re dealing with a country that can really finance its own reconstruction, and relatively soon.” Deputy Secretary of War Paul Wolfowitz, 3/27/03

“We know where (the weapons) are. They’re in the area around Tikrit and Baghdad and East, West, North and South somewhat.” - Secretary of War Donald Rumsfeld, 3/30/03

“Iraq will not require sustained aid.” – O.M.B. Director Mitch Daniels, 3/28/03

“Major combat operations have ended.” – George W. Bush, 5/1/03

“A year from now I’d be surprised if there’s not some grand square in Baghdad that is named after President Bush.” – Former Pentagon Advisor Richard Perle, 9/22/03

Soup du jour

Before I forget...I promised to eat crow whenever necessary and I must see how crow soup will taste. I read the other day that the legislation to revive the draft had died as it deserved...

"Waiter! There's a fly in my soup!"

Vacation is over

Ah, reality sets in once again. We are back from our trip to Vashon Island. The vacation was just the right thing for us, helping us to relax before the onset of the rigors of Fall and Winter. (Halloween, Thanksgiving and Christmas advertising!)

Also, we were out of touch with political reality for almost a week, as we avoided newspapers and the internet news. But we are back and I had a few papers to read.

Speaking of newspapers…I read an article the other day about group dynamics…or why we do certain things simply because others do them. The article leads off with a story about a young woman who led an exemplary life. She hadn’t taken as much as a paper clip for her personal use from the office where she worked. Then she and her boyfriend had visited the Petrified National Forest. There, she read a sign that advised visitors of the fact that many visitors, over the years, had taken small pieces of the trees for souvenirs and now there were only the larger pieces were left. The sign also included a warning that taking such souvenirs was illegal and violators would be prosecuted. To her boyfriends’ surprise, she told him that they needed to find some small pieces to take home. She became quite adamant about it.

What caused this strange behavior? The article explains that it was the wording on the sign that caused her to start gathering the illegal rock. “many visitors” was the key to her behavior. She didn’t want to be excluded from a group and the fact that it was “many” gave her actions validity in her mind. The possibility of being arrested and/or humiliated became secondary.

Have you ever been faced with choices like that? Have you ever seen this kind of behavior? How about all of those who knew there were WMD’s in Iraq?

Quiet please

Yes, it is over...I received my ballot today and I voted. The ballot is in the mail.
Now please turn off the rhetoric.

It's time for a break anyway. We are headed to Seattle tomorrow morning, where we intend to visit with an old friend who now lives on Vashon Island. We will tour the island of course and then on Tuesday, I hope to take the "foot" ferry over to Seattle for a cup of coffee. The weather appears to be cooperative and only a slight chance of showers is forecast. The plan says that we will return on Thursday.

My friend, who is computer illiterate, does have a computer I can use, so I may be able to continue posting and maybe even include a photo or two of the island. I will have to take the laptop with us to manage photos as we travel.

(Say bon voyage, Steve...)
Bon Voyage Steve

Scary

Something scary…

I just noticed this comment from my Yahoo financial page.

Sellers rush in in the opening minutes, prompted by what has been some lackluster economic data and devastating news from Dow component Merck (MRK 32.61 -12.46)... The drug giant announced it was voluntarily withdrawing its blockbuster (FY03 sales of $2.5 bln) arthritis drug Vioxx after a private study revealed it increased the risk for heart attack and stroke... Every one dollar change in Merck equates to a roughly 7 point change in the Dow - thus, most of the Dow's losses are the product of MRK's tumble...

The Dow had just dropped 69 points in the first 10 minutes of the trading day.

What’s scary you ask? The most obvious is the fact that it took a private study to find out about the dangers of this drug. Where was the FDA in all of this? The same FDA that proclaims that only American drugs are safe…that only the rigorous testing mandated by the FDA will keep the consumer safe from harm.

Second; why does the bad news about a drug company affect the economy in such a powerful way? Have we allowed the pharmaceutical industry to become the backbone of our economy? No, I don’t think so…but it is obvious that they have far too much influence in the economy.

An ethical question

Ethics is the subject. I was listening to that conservative NPR station again and they had a very interesting program on ethics. By the way, this proves that NPR must be a conservative station as everyone knows that liberals never talk about ethics, while conservatives just love to talk about ethics! But I digress…

The point that I found interesting is just how specific ethics have become. There are medical ethics and there are political ethics. (Yes, I know that’s an oxymoron) There are business ethics and legal ethics. Apparently there are ethics for just about every human endeavor. And the odd part is this; they are all different! Shouldn’t all ethics be very similar?

Believe it or not, business ethics are somewhat less restrictive than medical ethics; although that is a statistic in flux…

Do we really need ethics for every situation? Isn’t there a simpler way? You know, like, maybe we could all use that old one, “Do unto others…etc, etc.” You must remember that one. You do remember it…don’t you?

Perceptions

I just had a thought, actually a memory, and that is prompting this typing. Here it is:
In the 1960’s, I remember life as being quite good. We had saved some money and we were able to make a down payment on a brand new house. True, the house was located far out in the country and the commute was quite long, but it was all ours! (Or it would be after 20 years of payments) I made enough money as a carpenter so that my wife was able to stay home and work as wife and mother for our two children. Then a mistake was made; in 1966 Ronald Reagan was elected governor. California began to change as more taxes and more government were added. Incredibly, the people of California elected Reagan once again in 1970; as if he hadn’t done enough damage during his first term. Inflation soon made its appearance and the real wages of one job per family were no longer enough to support that family (mine) at the same level. My wife had to get a job. (1973) Taxes were increased. The beginnings of Proposition 13 were brewing…

You say that it didn’t happen that way? Have you ever heard of the saying that “perception is reality”? We lived through those years and that is exactly how we perceived them. If you were born after 1950, you only know what the historians want you to know about Reagan. Remember, only the winners write the history. For me, reality is quite simple. Prior to 1966, life was better than after 1966.

One memorable thing that struck me as wrong about Ronald was his closing of the mental health hospitals. Our new house was located about 2 miles from Camarillo State Hospital and I remember it as a haven for those who couldn’t take care of themselves. I thought that the hospital was a work that, as a society, we should do. I still think so…but now those who would be safer in a hospital are out on the street and we call it our “homeless problem – street people”. Again, perception is reality. How did Reagan sleep at night?

Another Reagan idea that created so much havoc was his idea of Supply-Side Economics, later tagged as “Voodoo Economics” by none other than the father of our current president. Government spending then increased by nearly 300 % as those companies with the right connections to the government got more than their share of the tax dollars. The premise was simple; spend lots of government money and the profits that the companies made would then “trickle down” through the many socio-economic levels and everyone would get a share. But humans have a perverse nature and a lot of them wanted to keep that money and stop the trickle. Many never saw even a drop from the trickle.

The trickle down economy has never worked and never will. There is no success story, but the current holder of the presidential office trots out this failed idea as if it were a new “horse” that we had never seen before.

As I was googling, (or is it googleing?) I found this interesting piece on economics.
http://mirrors.korpios.org/resurgent/23More.htm

NPR

NPR. That stands for National Public Radio, and according to those who inhabit the right side of the political spectrum, it is a disgrace and an embarrassment to our right thinking republic. The knee jerk rightists use a lot of energy and volume denouncing NPR as a bastion of liberal (read “wrong”) thought and opinion. But is it?

Everything I have read/listened to lately * seems to indicate the exact opposite. And I have the same feeling when I listen to NPR. Oh, those who do the reporting seem intellectual, witty and polite all right, and normally that would be a clear signal that you are listening to a liberal. But you need to listen to what they are saying and that is when it becomes quite clear that NPR has fallen to the right. What a shame…

But, then again…I listen to KVMR most of the time anyway and they are wonderfully liberal in their views. There is a place to go for fresh air…and Democracy Now, with Amy Goodman at 6 each evening.
http://www.democracynow.org/

*I wish I could find the written version of report I listened to, but it indicated that over 60 % of the content on NPR could be labeled “conservative”. I will continue my search...

Charlie who?

I was recently reminded of a great book…but that’s nothing new, I’m always being reminded of some book I have read. But this is one that you should take a look at. Its title is Charlie Wilson’s War and it was written by George Crile.

Here is a link to a review that I don’t personally agree with, but it does give you an indication of what the book is all about.

http://www.ashbrook.org/books/0871138549.html

The reason for my disagreement is that I felt the reviewer was downplaying the fact that Charlie Wilson was a fraud and a thief. (My opinion)

That small criticism aside, it’s certainly a book that I would recommend to anyone, as it tells the true story of just how corrupt our government could be. To be truthful, it’s the story of how any and all governments can be corrupted. It’s also an exciting book as it reveals how the CIA and Congressman Charlie Wilson use the greed of others to conduct a long and secret war in Afghanistan. The amounts of money that were stolen are beyond belief!

But that was then and this is 2004. Things are different now. Believe me.

Do you feel a draft?

It’s time to say it clearly…No matter who wins the election, we’re not leaving Iraq in the near, or even distant future. And in preparation for that, Selective Service boards are being reconstituted. There are bills in Congress, (companion bills: S89 and HR 163) that will bring the draft back to life. The current administration is quietly trying to get these bills passed now, while the public's attention is on the elections, so the draft can begin as early as spring, 2005, just after the 2004 presidential election. These bills, among other things, eliminate higher education as a draft shelter and will include women in the draft for the first time. For details, go to this link…

http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/bdquery/z?d108:H.R.163:

You know what? I would be so glad to eat crow and tell you how wrong I was about this, above…and I wish I hadn’t read this, below.

The following, including the references, were copied from an announcement from MoveOn.org -

“To hear President Bush tell it, Iraq is a bed of roses: "Our strategy is succeeding," he said last week. Yesterday at the U.N., he said Iraq is "on the path to democracy and freedom."

Yet the CIA told Bush recently that the scenarios we're really facing there range from a quagmire to a bloodbath. The CIA's July report outlines three possibilities for Iraq, ranging from "an Iraq whose stability would remain tenuous" to "civil war," according to the New York Times. [1]

Senator Bob Graham (D-FL) is calling on Bush to level with us, by releasing the report, formally called a National Intelligence Estimate (NIE), to the public. Graham, the former chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee, has read the NIE, and he thinks we all should see it too.

It's not just Democrats who are questioning the President's grip on reality.
Senator Chuck Hagel (NE), a Republican, says: "The worst thing we can do is hold ourselves hostage to some grand illusion that we're winning. Right now, we are not winning. Things are getting worse." [2] "The fact is, we're in trouble. We're in deep trouble in Iraq." [3]

Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) also supports releasing the NIE [4] and says: "We made serious mistakes right after the initial successes by not having enough troops there on the ground, by allowing the looting, by not securing the borders." [3]

Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC), says "he believes the situation in Iraq is going to get worse before it gets better, adding that he believes the administration has done a 'poor job of implementing and adjusting at times.'" and says "We do not need to paint a rosy scenario for the American people...." [3]

Senator Richard Lugar (R-IN) says it's "exasperating for anybody look at this from any vantage point." [1]

Those are Republicans talking. Here's what the generals and national security experts are saying, in a terrific recent piece in the UK's Guardian newspaper:

Retired general William Odom, former head of the National Security Agency, said: "Bush hasn't found the WMD. Al-Qaida, it's worse, he's lost on that front. That he's going to achieve a democracy there? That goal is lost, too. It's lost." He adds: "Right now, the course we're on, we're achieving Bin Laden's ends."

Retired general Joseph Hoare, the former marine commandant and head of US Central Command, [said]: "The idea that this is going to go the way these guys planned is ludicrous. There are no good options.... The priorities are just all wrong."

Jeffrey Record, professor of strategy at the Air War College, said: "I see no ray of light on the horizon at all. The worst case has become true..."

W. Andrew Terrill, professor at the Army War College's strategic studies institute -- and the top expert on Iraq there -- said: "I don't think that you can kill the insurgency"... "The idea there are x number of insurgents, and that when they're all dead we can get out is wrong. The insurgency has shown an ability to regenerate itself because there are people willing to fill the ranks of those who are killed"... "Most Iraqis consider us occupiers, not liberators."

General Odom [also] said: "This is far graver than Vietnam. There wasn't as much at stake strategically, though in both cases we mindlessly went ahead with the war that was not constructive for US aims. But now we're in a region far more volatile, and we're in much worse shape with our allies."... "I've never seen [tensions] so bad between the office of the secretary of defence and the military. There's a significant majority believing this is a disaster." [5]

Just as important are the opinions of those whose loved ones are serving in Iraq, like Martha Jo McCarthy, whose husband is on National Guard duty there. She says: "Everyone supports the troops, and I know they're doing a phenomenal job over there, not only fighting but building schools and digging wells. But supporting the troops has to mean something more than putting yellow-ribbon magnets on your car and praying they come home safely."

"I read the casualty Web site every day and ask myself, 'Do I feel safer here?' No. I don't think we can win this war through arrogance. Arrogance is different from strength. Strength requires wisdom, and I think we need to change from arrogance to solid strength." [6]

[1] New York Times: U.S. Intelligence Shows Pessimism on Iraq's FutureSeptember 16th, 2004
[2] Washington Post editorial: Mr. Bush and IraqSeptember 18th, 2004
[3] Washington Post: Three GOP Senators Urge Refocusing of Iraq PolicySeptember 19th, 2004
[4] 'FOX News Sunday', September 19th, 2004, transcript
[5] The Guardian (UK): Far graver than Vietnam (opinion piece bySidney Blumenthal, Washington Bureau Chief of Salon.com)September 16th, 2004
[6] Washington Post: Quiet Calls for Change (column by David Broder)September 16th, 2004

Our hero!

I have been out looking for newspapers since about 5:30. It was around 6 when I found the Chico newspaper and it was a laugh a minute to read. One item caught my eye; a bulletin that Israel will be purchasing almost 5,000 “smart bombs” from the US. Since it is assumed that Israel has spies in the Defense Department, I’m sure that the munitions sales approval was no surprise to Israel. They probably had the check already filled out. Oops! I forgot; they don’t actually pay for any of these things. And I’m glad to see that we’re still doing our very best to promote peace in the Middle East.

Then I read the article about Representative Wally Herger’s trip to Iraq. I think it was entitled “How I spent my summer vacation”? No? Perhaps I was mistaken. In any event, Wally and a whole bunch of staff flew to Baghdad and spent some time in the “Green Zone”; that portion of the city that is surrounded by fortifications and troops. From there, he concluded that all is going as well as possible and how no one knew that it was going to be this difficult to bring democracy to Iraq. No one knew? Perhaps we should have asked an Israeli. And he also noted that we have “only” been there for a year and a half. He also took a helicopter ride and said that he noticed Iraqi’s waving from the ground as he passed over, and from that he was able to pronounce that they were supportive of the US action. Way to go, Wally!

Conservatism in action

I had an interesting exchange of e-mail messages with an old friend recently and our electronic discussion focused on the CBS reports concerning Bush’s commanding officer and the memo’s he may or may not have written. What I found odd about the exchange was my friends’ reaction to CBS. He insisted that CBS had been working this story for a number of years? And then he went on to say how much they (CBS) were like McCarthy; they believe something is true, see a danger and then accept any evidence that supports their belief. I had to admit that I was somewhat stunned…isn’t that the same argument that we had with Bush and his belief in WMD’s?

Then he went on to say, “And, now CBS is trying to say, "Well, the documents may be forgeries but the story is still accurate." My God! A major network news organization is saying that if a story is plausible and is very likely true, then actual hard evidence is not needed. Luckily for now, even the NY Times and the Wash. Post disagrees with this journalistic arrogance”

Now I am really stunned! Bush and CBS are clones…it certainly sounds like it if his argument is valid.

Ah, the conservative mind is a fascinating thing to observe in action.

Musing

Today is the day I irrigate the orchard and so I am out early for that chore. So early, in fact, that it is quite dark when I make my way up the path to the canal. Flashlight in hand, I study the gate that I have to open to get water to flow down to our place. Something, something dead and bloated, (a pig?) was bobbing in the current near the gate. I gave it a shove with my shovel and off it went, heading down to the next orchard and not mine. I tried lifting the gate, but it was held in place by the great amount of water flowing by. Grasping the handle of the gate a little more firmly this time, I heaved it upwards and was rewarded with a large “burp” from the pipeline as the water poured in. This phenomenon always covers me with water and is a good reason to wear old clothes. It’s also a good reason to take a shower afterwards!

Back in the orchard I have time to contemplate as the sky turns silver and finally a pale blue. The wind was still blowing, though not as fiercely as it had on Tuesday. I have my trusty rake in hand to move those things that obstruct the free flow of the water as it creeps across the orchard. After awhile, the water was deep enough to reveal ripples from the push of the wind across its surface.

No one else is around to talk to and so I watch the horses on the property next door as they trot in for a drink at the bathtub that serves as a watering hole. The horses are curious and spend some time staring at me. A couple of mares get irritated about something and get into a kicking contest that lasts for only a few seconds. Both seem satisfied with the outcome and wander off.

An hour after I started, the orchard is covered with a few inches of water and it’s time to move the water down to my neighbor. I open the gate to that channel and watch the water sweep away an army of “critters”, beetles, which live in the channel. They will be back…and so will I. I really enjoy this time!

More data!

More Data! Tidbits from the Economist’s little book of facts…

Defense Spending (As % of GDP)
1. Eritrea 20.9
2. Angola 17.0
3. Oman 14.4
4. Saudi Arabia 14.1
5. Afghanistan 12.2
6. Kuwait 12.1
7. North Korea 11.6
8. Syria 10.9
9. Ethiopia 9.8
10. Israel 9.5

(Wouldn't you think some of these countries might have prioritized their needs a little better?)

Armed Forces – regular army only, not counting reserves
1. China 2,310,000
2. United States 1,368,000
3. India 1,263,000
4. North Korea 1,082,000
5. Russia 977,000
6. South Korea 683,000
7. Pakistan 620,000
8. Turkey 515,000
9. Iran 513,000
10. Vietnam 484,000

And last…some stray data I spotted.
1. From July 8th 2002 until November of 2003, George W. Bush never uttered the words "Osama Bin Laden" in any speech, press conference or public appearance.

OK, you have all the facts, now make up some good stories with them!

Trust me

BETHESDA, Md., Sept. 13 - Top officials of the Food and Drug Administration acknowledged for the first time on Monday that antidepressants appeared to lead some children and teenagers to become suicidal.
Dr. Robert Temple, director of the F.D.A.'s office of medical policy, said after an emotional public hearing here that analyses of 15 clinical trials, some of which were hidden for years from the public by the drug companies that sponsored them, showed a consistent link with suicidal behavior.
"I think that we now all believe that there is an increase in suicidal thinking and action that is consistent across all the drugs,'' Dr. Temple said, summarizing the agency's presentation to a special advisory committee. "This looks like it's a true bill.''

Yes, I'm certainly thankful that the F.D.A. is on the job...

Isn't this the same F.D.A. that keeps those dangerous Canadian drugs away from us? Telling us that only American drugs can be trusted...?

Oops - wrong country!

I had an interesting conversation the other day and the topic was Indonesia. And during that conversation I mistakenly placed the city of Kuala Lumpur within the borders of Indonesia. Wrong! But not by much, as it actually belongs in Malaysia and that is close by.

Why talk about Indonesia? Probably because it has all the ingredients to make it a world class problem for all. And as I was looking up the location of Kuala Lumpur, I ran across this interesting website…
http://www.cia.gov/cia/publications/factbook/geos/id.html

(Imagine that! The CIA shares some information…)

As you look at all of the data from this site, you can find the hints of a major story about to happen.

The population (238,452,952) is 88% Muslim.
The population lives on 6,000 islands.
Not quite 10% of the land is arable.
The majority of the population is young…almost 30% are under 14, while only 5% are over 65.
27% live below the poverty level.
The military budget exceeds 1 billion dollars.

There are lots of data here, so you can make your own story if you wish.

More Liar, Liar

We're already into the middle of September and I can truthfully say that we are very fortunate to not have a television. From what I have read, the election advertising is becoming more vicious by the day.

As the election year grinds to an end, it becomes more important than ever to pay attention to what is being said by both sides. To verify the statements and not just nod your head and say, “I knew it! That’s just the kind of guy he is…” Finding the neutral observer and reporter is more difficult than ever. But, with the lies flying fast and furious you need to do more than simply listen and hope you can filter out the truth from the garbage. A thinking voter has a lot of reading to do!

This year may turn out to be the pivotal year for election law. Both candidates have already written off some states and are concentrating their efforts on pivotal states. Does this, in effect, disenfranchise some voters? Public funds are being spent on both campaigns and some would say that all voters deserve equal consideration. Also, there is a growing concern over the use of electronic voting machines and lawsuits are just waiting for a narrow win/loss in this election. And after the Florida debacle in 2000, many concerned citizens are questioning the Electoral College system. And last, now the politicians and voting officials have realized that there is a large and growing segment of voters who will vote via absentee ballot. How do you exit poll these voters? Both parties now have to face the fact that millions of last minute advertising dollars are going down the drain because the vote they were seeking is already sealed in an envelope and is waiting to be counted…after the election!

Politics rears its ugly head...again

I can't stand it...so here it is.

http://www.slate.com/Default.aspx?id=2106119&

Take a look at this...yes, it is a week old but it is still worth a read.

On an entirely different subject. Try listening to a group named Django Pearl. This group plays "Hot Club" or Gypsy Jazz and they do it quite well. If you were or are a fan of Django Reinhardt/Stephane Grappelli (Quintette du Hot Club de France) then you will appreciate this. I heard them after downloading some of their work and as soon as I heard it, I was onto the Amazon site (via Dennis's webpage, of course!) and ordered a couple of cds. They have titles you can listen to on the site.

Go directly to jail

Here are some more statistics from the 2004 Edition of Pocket World in Figures, published by the Economist magazine.

Prisoners
Total prison population ...Total population
1. United States 2,021,223 .... 285,900,000
2. China 1,428,126 .... 1,285,000,000
3. Russia 919,330 .... 144,700,000
4. India 281,380 .... 1,025,000,000
5. Brazil 233,859 .... 172,600,000

Per 100,000 population
1. United States 707
2. Russia 638
3. Belarus 554
4. Kazakhstan 522
5. Turkmenistan 489

I don’t know about you, but I certainly feel safer!

More statistics

I believe I will concentrate more on statistics these days. Politics have taken their toll on me. Both candidates are foul mouthed and are liars as well. Why should I bother? Oh, don't get me wrong, I will vote, but not happily.

Let's look at the donor list; those giving foreign aid, bilateral and multilateral. As a percentage of GDP.

1. Denmark 1.03
2. Norway .83
3. Luxembourg, Netherlands .82
4. Sweden .81
5. Belgium .37
6. Saudi Arabia .35
7. Switzerland .34
8. Ireland .33
9. Finland, France & U.K .32
10. Spain .30

Don't you love statistics? They tell such great stories with just a few numbers...

What a day...

It has been one of those days. A day when little things seem to irritate far out of proportion. It started when I picked up the mail and opened a letter from the Democratic National Committee. It was addressed to me...which is odd, as I'm registered as independent. Inside was a weird letter telling me that they had enclosed a "beautiful" picture of the candidates, John and John. Sure enough, there was a cheap color photo of the two of them. The photo even had a "registration" number as if that made it special. Of course they wanted money...But I immediately thought of all the money they wasted by sending out this particular flyer! Who is in charge of stuff like this? The whole thing had all the charm of an Ed McMahon sweepstakes letter.

And then...As I was surfing, I ran across these two interesting accounts of things from the Republican camp.

http://www.snopes.com/politics/kerry/weapons.asp

and this one...
http://www.salon.com/news/feature/2004/09/02/allison_moveon/index.html

And the days grow shorter.

Statistics

Whoah, terrible! I just read that Economist review again and I have to say that the writer has a terribly inflated view of him or herself...If you have already read it...I'm sorry I included it. It seemed funny at the time. (I will go back and edit it out)

But...here are some of the statistics I promised...

The World in Figures…from the Economist.

Highest number of marriages. (Per 1,000 population)

1. Bermuda 16.7
2. Barbados 13.1
3. Cyprus 12.3
4. Jamaica 10.4
5. Ethiopa 10.2

14. United States 8.2

Highest Divorce Rates (Per 1,000 population)

1. Belarus, Guam & United States 4.3
2. Puerto Rico 3.9
3. Bermuda 3.7
4. Cuba 3.5
5. Ukraine 3.4

So what does this tell you about Bermuda? I know that it makes me wonder about their Community Property laws.

Good news

Once a year, the Economist magazine puts out a slim little volume of facts about our world. Lots and lots of data! There is no editorializing to go along with the facts, they speak for themselves. But, let me digress. The lack of editorial bias is one of the reasons that I enjoy the Economist so much, as they seem to be able to simply report the news and what its effect was. Simple is good. Liberal or Conservative, your viewpoint is noted in the stories but it is never the focus of the story. Often, I find myself being corrected by the facts as reported by the Economist.
If you want to see some reviews of this magazine, visit this site…
http://www.epinions.com/mags-Economist__The/display_~reviews

It has much more intellectual rigor than most other writing you see these days outside of academia. They will gladly show elasticity curves and other theoretical constructs that are important for gaining deep conceptual insights into current issues - The stories are also much more data-driven than almost any other publication. Frequently, they dig up just the right long-term data points to really tell you what is going on in ways that are much more credible than mere words.At the same time, you don't need a degree in economics or a Ph.D. in math to read the magazine. .

Now that review alone should make you rush out to buy a copy! Super smart? No, it doesn’t require that kind of intelligence to appreciate this magazine. Hey, I have no degrees! And, no, it isn’t all about business. The Science and Technology section alone is worth the subscription price!

You have to be asking yourself if I am in the business of selling magazines and how much do I make for each subscription I can garner…but no, I just like to read it and enjoy letting others know about it.

I started this blog by noting the arrival of the 2004 edition of the Pocket World in Figures. Now I need to share some of the facts with you. Stay tuned...

Guilty as charged

Awhile back, I wrote about my being a centrist and I still think that label might be big enough to fit; it may be a bit snug at times but if I had to have a label (which I don’t!) then centrist would be the one. From the center, you can embrace (or reject) both the left and the right. But, enough of labels! Labels are a lazy person’s way of sorting and identifying all of the people we have some little knowledge of and I am guilty of doing just that. Conservative, right wing, liberal, left wing, commie, pinko, fascist, etc. Everyone gets a label. Yet, I am none of those by strict definition. I am all of those by practice

Do we label the people we know very well? I would say, rarely. I know that some of my friends and relatives would seem, at first glance, to fit within the confines of a label, but I know them and I know that they have other attributes that make them too big for a label.

I don’t know about you, but I’m not going to be labeled anymore. I refuse. Call me what you want; it’s your loss, not mine. There is more to me than a label. Accepting a label constrains me, makes me smaller. Think about it; are you a conservative? Is that really you? Isn’t there more about you that I should know? You say that you’re a liberal? What does that mean in your life? In your everyday life?

Just like fingerprints and DNA, there are no two alike. God doesn’t have an assembly line. We are all unique in His eyes and He loves us. I should strive to be more like Him. And there’s the rub…they say that the devil is in the details and so it is. Striving is easy to say but darn difficult to do. I can see myself getting into ethical difficulties as I allow no labeling of myself but am quick to label others. Ouch!

Here is something I spotted early this morning...

"We absolutely need to invoke Sept. 11 in the convention. This election will determine how we fight a war on terror that began right here in this city."RICHARD AGUILAR, a delegate to the Republican National Convention.

Mr. Aguilar is wrong. This election is about trust. The war will go on no matter who is in charge. The election is about whom we trust to prosecute that war. The man who masterminded the horrific events of September 11th is still a free man and the war on the people of Afghanistan and Iraq goes on.

And Mr. Bush's campaign communications director, Nicolle Devenish, said in an interview: "Those who support the president are inside the Garden. Those who are opposed to the president's policies are protesting outside the Garden."

And that is as it should be…Protest is as American as apple pie. That is what this nation is all about. Those who insist that I support the president as some form of patriotism have little understanding of patriotism or democracy. And I might add that it is those knee jerk conservatives that scare me the most!

And if you want a good view of the convention(s), check out Dan Walters column for this morning, in the Sacramento Bee...

http://www.sacbee.com/content/politics/columns/walters/story/10566321p-11485271c.html

Rough Rider

I have been reading a biography of Theodore Roosevelt (Theodore Rex by Edmund Morris) and I must say that the author has convinced me that “Teddy” was a president that I would have disliked intensely had I been present during his time in history. He was a politician first and foremost, and all of his actions involved a great deal of thought about how they would appear to future generations. He never did anything or made any decision without weighing the political liabilities involved in his decision. The effects of his decisions on other humans were never considered. He was constantly writing notes “for posterity” as he tried to make certain that history would treat him well. I realize that I am making these statements and forming judgments based on the reading of just one book, but the fact that the author quotes “Teddy” quite often, makes it easy for me to do this. His own words convict him.

I keep a copy of the Constitution, the Declaration of Independence and the Bill of Rights on my computer and I like to refer to them at times. Why? Because so many politicians, like “Teddy”, abuse these documents in the name of patriotism and it helps to have a reference that you can trust.

A time for everything

We moved to Orland in June of 2004. It has now been close to 3 months since that time and I am not yet completely familiar with my new surroundings, but I am learning to see beyond the superficial.

We live in a large house on a busy road; busy as defined by Orland standards. Since the house is so large, we don’t hear much of the outside noise and so the house is comforting in its silence. From our vantage point in the kitchen, where we can usually be found, we see our small backyard, a pool and a fence surrounding it all. Over the fence we can see the tops of all the trees in our orchard and beyond that, more trees. The view is all shades of green and a blue sky, with an occasional white cloud streaking the horizon.

The fence reminds me of the palisades that might surround a fort in the wilderness and I sometimes spot movement through the gaps in the boards. What was that? Someone sneaking up on our fort? No, it was just a bird.

If we go out to the front of the house, our view now includes the distant mountains that make up the Mendocino National Forest. Closer, a 20 acre parcel is directly across the road from us and there are cattle grazing on it, usually no more than 20 or 30 of them. We can hear the cows calling to their calves. To the north of us, an old farmhouse and barn sits vacant, the owners now live down the road a ways, but they keep the lawn mowed. A herd of small horses graze on the land. To the south, our view is of our neighbors land with a coral colored hedge of trees in full bloom.

I should point out that we have lived in lots of places in California; from San Diego (where I was in “boot camp”) to Janesville, in the far Northeast corner of California. We grew up in Los Angeles and Manhattan Beach, we moved to the San Fernando Valley and then to Ventura County. We spent a short time in Orange County before leaving Southern California forever in 1977. After leaving Lassen County, we spent 16 years in Roseville.

I guess we know a lot about a little bit of this state and now we are learning some more. And what I enjoy here in Orland is the pace of life. Not because it’s slower or less frantic than that of the Roseville area, but because the pace reflects the lives of the farmers. Agriculture dominates every life here. The growing and harvesting seasons determine what we do every day. God’s handiwork is evident everywhere!

And I can’t help but wonder what a young, urban, professional person from Roseville would think of this life?

I wrote of the busy road out in front and I see harvesters and tractors, trucks hauling almonds and trucks hauling hay. Each day, as the season progresses, the traffic changes to reflect what is being grown and harvested. I anticipate that the road will become quieter and the traffic will ease as fall arrives and the last of the crops are shipped away before winter arrives.

I like it here.

Where are the heroes?

Where are the real heroes these days? Where is Smedley Butler when you really need him?

“The hair on the back of my neck stands up when any government says a thing needs doing to protect the 'national interest': The vast majority of War is just a racket. I believe in adequate defense at the coastline and nothing else. If a nation comes over here to fight, then we'll fight.

The trouble with America is that when the dollar only earns 6 percent over here, then it gets restless and goes overseas to get 100 percent. When it only garners 75 %, then the flag follows the dollar and the soldiers follow the flag. Before you know it, "investors" are getting a 200 % return and we have trashed another culture and raped another country of its resources, under the flag of Democracy.”
Major General Smedley Butler of the US Marine Corps

Do you want to know some more about this guy? Try these websites…
http://www.ratical.org/ratville/CAH/warisaracket.html

http://www.grunts.net/legends/butler.html

http://hqinet001.hqmc.usmc.mil/HD/Historical/Whos_Who/Butler_SD.htm

Bothered?

Does this bother you? And if not, why not?

"And at a recent Bush-Cheney campaign event, audience members were required to sign a pledge to support President Bush before they were admitted."

Deja Vu all over again

http://www.outriderbooks.com/1898.html

Take this link (above) to get a real taste of just how history repeats itself. Didn't someone, say something, once upon a time about the folly of not paying attention to the lessons of history?

Early morning wisdom?

It’s almost 5:30 so I will take a look outside and see if the newspaper has arrived. Well, one of them was on the driveway; the Sacramento Bee. And here’s my opinion on a few things that I read.

The first article that I noticed was one on the use of new technology to catch more people illegally parked and to allow the police to “boot” more cars for unpaid parking tickets. They have equipped some vehicles with infrared cameras and GPS units and these expensive modifications allow quick searches of the police databases. More tickets and more revenue are the results. Now what if they spent their money on creating more parking spaces instead of policing the few they have? Sounds smart to me! But, hey…I’m just an ordinary citizen, who would listen to me?

An article that caught my attention briefly was another one about arnold, our acting governor. There was no substance to the article; there never is when arnold is the subject. It’s hard to believe that you can fool so many people at the same time, but he has a knack for it. Perhaps it is because we live in a society that values fame instead of integrity.

And the article of greatest concern for me was the one on the fact that the government is going to create a new position, a national intelligence director. Of course there will be a whole new department to go along with this position. Certainly! You can’t expect the man (I’m sure it will be a man) to do his job without some staff to help him out. But wait, what is his job? I think it’s to take the intelligence that flows into the FBI and CIA and other assorted spy agencies and to make certain that it is shared by all the agencies. But can’t the agencies simply share what they know now? Can’t someone (perhaps the president?) simply tell these agencies that they have to share their data? Here's part of an article...
WASHINGTON - President Bush is urging the creation of a national intelligence director, but some lawmakers wonder whether the post he's proposed will have enough power to get the nation's 15 sometimes turf-conscious spy agencies working in concert.

Bush announced his support Monday for a national intelligence chief and a national center to plan counterterror operations in the United States and abroad. On Tuesday, the Senate Governmental Affairs Committee will discuss the counterterrorism center and the House Government Reform Committee will hold hearings on how to reorganize executive branch agencies so they do a better job sharing information.

"All the institutions of our government must be fully prepared for a struggle against terror that will last into the future," Bush said Monday in the Rose Garden. "Our goal is an integrated, unified national intelligence effort."

The two proposals Bush embraced were the key recommendations of a bipartisan commission that investigated the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks.

"If Congress has the will, I believe we could enact intelligence reform legislation before we recess for the elections so that changes are in place before the year is over," said Sen. Joe Lieberman, D-Conn. "That's an ambitious timetable. But I think it is justified, given that our country is under threat of attack."

Unbelievable! Why doesn’t someone just tell these bozos that they have to do a better job or they will be fired? Instead we will spend the money for a whole new government agency. Just imagine what the cost will be for the stationery alone. And they will need a new building so they can put an address on that stationery. And after all of that, what guarantee do we have that this new agency will work any better than the last 15? Would you like to bet some money on it? I will cover any bet you want to make! Now that I’m retired, I can use the extra cash.

Harry again

I think it's time for another of Harry James Cargas' pieces.

This is entitled No Such Thing as Half Dead and it is found in chapter 17.

Actively placing ourselves in a religious tradition is not a part-time activity. We are either fully committed or we are not. It is also inaccurate to speak of someone as being half-dead. A person is either alive or not. In the same way, we cannot describe ourselves as somewhat religious or Christian in many ways. We either are or we are not. Our belief and coordinate actions resulting therefrom are a condition. As such, they are total or they are nothing. This is not to imply that we do not have problems or failings. Religion is not so simple a condition, of course. But it does mean that we are willing to struggle with the problems, struggle to overcome our failures, because we consciously want to - because we love God. And because we want to love people. Not abstract people, that great mass of humanity out there, but because we earnestly want to love Henry who has bad breath and Wilma who giggles a lot and Jonathon who talks a great deal about Jonathon and little Julie whose idea of conversation is relating the plot of the latest movie she has seen. Working hard in a religious tradition means working hard at perfecting ourselves. It means knowing, too, that where we don’t fully succeed, God will understand and cooperates in our attempts to do better. This confidence that we can have in God will assist us greatly in the absolute commitment that we make. Human beings are by nature gregarious and religion is by definition a profoundly sharing experience. No Christian is ever alone. No Christian need be lonely because we can have the knowledge that Christ is fully with us (the question only being “are we fully with Jesus?”), and the entire body of believing Christians is also one community sharing our burdens, joys, achievements, griefs, failures, successes. (Emphasis mine)

 

 

Satellite Fever

The satellite service has arrived. The dish was installed yesterday afternoon and I have been surfing ever since...Well, no...I did take time out to sleep and eat. I'm not stupid! The microwave technology fascinates me more than the usual methods of delivering broadband. How does it hit that little target that now resides on the eaves of my house?

Liar, Liar

Good things may be happening! I just signed up for satellite service. That will speed up my connection by the power of 10. Maybe I can post more often, although the uplink isn't the fastest, it is faster than 9.6 Kbps!

http://www.csmonitor.com/2004/0623/p15s01-lire.html?s=hns

Check the link above for a good article about liars.

Has it always been so? Have we always been a people who lie without thinking and then act indignant when others do the same? To be honest, I believe the author of the article in the Christian Science Monitor has the facts correct and we are justifiably indicted.

I must plead guilty as well, as I find myself telling untruths far too easily. What a shame it is though, that we can’t keep our minds focused on the whole truth and nothing but the truth.

What if it’s an untruth as opposed to a lie? Hmmm…is there a difference? If I try to make the argument that there is a difference, then I quickly find myself on shaky ground. (I think Connecticut’s previous governor was treading on that same shaky ground)

Now that I have confessed to telling a few untruths/lies, shouldn’t I expect our leaders to do the same? After all, they continue to tell us that they are just like us. They stress their common man roots during their election campaigns and so they must be prone to the same failures as the rest of us “common folk”. How refreshing it would be to hear a congressman, a mayor, or even a president say, “I’m sorry…but I lied. Please forgive me.”

Something completely different

As I was wandering through my files, I came across some excerpts from a great book by Harry James Cargas. I have decided to post one here as the book is no longer in print and hopefully I won’t be prosecuted for copyright infringement. The book is entitled Encountering Myself and I would recommend searching for it on Amazon, as I believe it can still be found at used book dealers.

Christ Died for Me?
How seriously do I believe that Christ died for me? For me? How has the consciousness of this revelation formed my life? Is the thought always before me as a guiding principle? Clearly it should be if I regard myself as a Christian. Of course, I claim to believe this, but if I really do, can it be said that the way I lead my daily life reflects this awareness? That Christ died for me gives me tremendous worth. I am, as it is, infinitely valuable; I have been redeemed by an infinite sacrifice. Do I see myself as someone of consequence? I should since, for me, God sent the only begotten Son. Well, if I am, in such a sense, the center of a universe, am I acting in a fit manner? We might be aware that petty behavior is not what is called for. Rather, action befitting one for whom Christ died. For example, should a person who so received the attentions from God the Creator be a gossip? Or a chronic complainer? Am I particularly quick and eager to blame others when the chance arises? Do I really believe in the dignity of my own life? Goethe wrote that good manners have their basis in heaven-Are my manners reflective of this? There is a tremendous responsibility put on me as one who has "benefited" from the crucifixion. How have I accepted this? By cheating in little business deals? By admiring athletes who break the rules and don't get caught? By encouraging others to hedge on certain regulations? Do I use language befitting one for whom Christ died? Am I anxious to make snap judgments about other persons, often to their disadvantage? Do I, in fact, reflect enough on what it means that Jesus made me the great gift of himself? That has got to be a humbling thought when realized. Yet it is possible that most who call themselves followers of Christ fail to fully deal with this concept. If we did, most of us would change our lives radically. What does it really mean in my life? Christ died for me?
Copied without permission from chapter 3 of "Encountering Myself" by Harry James Cargas

The recent move has allowed me to do something I wanted to do many times, and that is to change my voter registration. I have always been registered as a Democrat but now I will be registered as “declines to state”. I wanted to be an independent (with a small i) but that choice is not available. Democrats, Republicans, Greens, Peace and Freedom…all a part of the same coin, simply different faces.

To be truthful, I wanted to be registered as a Centrist. Being in the center I could pick and choose what might be good from the parties at opposite sides. (If there were to be any good to come from any party).

Over the years, those on the Right have evolved into mindless “super patriots”, never willing to entertain any thoughts that might differ from those espoused by Republican Party headquarters. Those on the Left, suffer from the same condition; Mindlessness. They follow whatever sounds or feels right. Democrats don’t even qualify as “Leftists”, as they have drifted so far to the Right in search of power and votes.

Historically, those on the Right have become some of the worst villains in our time. The German Right wing became the Nazi party and the Italian Rightists evolved into Fascists. It’s the same story for the Left. The ideologue’s, Lenin and Marx, became the cruel masters, Stalin and Khrushchev.

All of which leads me to believe that as the Right and Left strain to get further from each other, they actually become the same. Think of a large belt and see the Right and Left as objects on that belt, moving away from each other. Of course they meet in the back. Where they appear to be furthest from each other, in reality they are the same, but where no one can see them. Look at any nation/state where the Right rules and you will find as repressive a state as that ruled by those on the Left. It’s always the same, power corrupts.

I just Googled “centrist” and found it to be quite enlightening. Here is a quote that really resonated for me. “To be a centrist means first being willing to listen, because no one has a monopoly on the truth.” But after reading more, I see both Republicans and Democrats posing as centrists and spouting the same old rhetoric…shame on them! But certainly not unexpected…

Now What?

What a week...moving, as old age, is not for the faint of heart, nor is it for wimps. But the move is almost complete now. Another trip down south, a turning in of our keys to the realtor and then a visit to Trader Joe's for supplies will make our day and will signal an end to an era (16 years) in the "big city". It's the country life for us (again!) and we are already growing accustomed to the sights and sounds that make this so peaceful. In a previous life, we were country folk for about 11 years and it suited us well. Since I had to work so far away, I missed out on some aspects of it. But this time...

I need to get a faster connection and soon. 9.6 Kbps? That can't be right...

Sir Rupert

If you are too young to remember the “yellow press” of the Hearst empire, you can see exactly how it operated by watching Fox News.

It was the Los Angeles Times that interviewed Av Westin, executive director of the National Television Academy and former producer of ABC’s news programs. Westin was interviewed by the Times in connection with charges by a former Fox News producer that the staff of the news channel is under constant pressure to conform to the political views of Fox News Chairman Roger Ailes. Westin noted: "Roger runs the place with an iron hand, and he was put in place there by Murdoch, who selected him for his politics." Westin also stated that Sir Rupert’s politics are even seen in "the uniform smirks and body language" of the Fox News reporters and that the owner's personal bias permeates the news "to an extent that isn't true anywhere else in American journalism."

You don’t remember the “yellow press”? Of course you don’t. Even I am too young to remember it. But the phrase came from the turf wars of the two leading newspaper publishers, Hearst and Pulitzer. One of the things that they fought over was the use of a popular cartoon series of the time, “The Yellow Kid”. First one owned it and then the other. They often used the "Yellow Kid" to sensationalize stories and to discredit the stories of other newspapers. The "Yellow Kid" was also used to sway public opinion on important issues such as the Spanish-American war.

With so much competition between the newspapers, the news was over-dramatized and altered to fit story ideas that publishers and editors thought would sell the most papers and stir the most interest for the public so that news boys could sell more papers on street corners.

In this century, we have substituted TV news for newspaper boys

That is why I suggest you find as many news sources as possible if you want to know the truth. You won’t find it in one place.

May I suggest adding the Economist to your reading list and McNeil/Lehrer for your television viewing? But please, get more than one view!

See http://encyclopedia.thefreedictionary.com/Rupert%20Murdoch for more info on Sir Rupert

Amusement Park

Since my Myers-Briggs Type Indicator is INFP, I tend to be very introspective. And that is probably not a good thing when it comes to blogging. I spend way too much time thinking about why I blog instead of just doing it. After recently discovering that millions are blogging, why worry about why I do it? It’s just an opinion and it’s obvious that everyone has one, so get over it, Steve!

On a different subject: The move to Orland is proceeding, with or without me. It’s similar to being on a rollercoaster. You want it to slow down on the downhill sections and you want it to speed up as you climb the hills. And always you want it to be over soon! We know we’re close now as we have some more paper signing to do at the escrow office today.

The moving van will be here on Friday and then the rollercoaster will be on the final downhill and the end will be in sight. I hope to never ride this particular rollercoaster again.

Diversity

I just took a look at the larger world of blogging and found it fascinating. Yes, I clicked on the link that leads to the list of blogs posted in the last ten minutes. I had no idea that there were so many! And I was struck immediately by the diversity of the blogging crowd. People from all over the world.

This reminded me of a comment I read recently; a writer was complaining about the proliferation of virus laden e-mail and blamed it all on foreigners. Foreigners? Did the writer live on a different planet?

And blogging is all about “me”. It’s easy to become so fascinated by the sound of your own voice that you forget that there are other voices that would like to be heard. Is that a bad thing?

Can you hear me now?

Did you hear? I have been validated! I was reading an article in the Economist last month and there was an article that revealed the truth about cell phone use on airplanes. You know how they always told you how dangerous it was to use them on an airplane; that they could interfere with navigation, etc…And FAA regulations prohibit the use of…more etceteras.

I (being cynical) always doubted the truth of that statement. If they were truly dangerous, the pilot wouldn’t take off till he or she had confiscated every single phone on board.

It turns out that they are dangerous…to the cell phone service providers. Imagine an active cell phone as it speeds through “cells” at 500 mph. Now imagine 200 cell phones doing the same thing. It overloads the switching capacity of the cells and the system can fail. But now, with advanced technology, the cells can handle these kinds of loads and the airlines are getting ready to promote, not deny, cell phone usage!

The man who strikes first admits that his ideas have given out. -Chinese Proverb-