Obama and Nixon – Greeting Nasty People

President Barack Obama recently attended the Summit of the Americas. While there he met that Venezuela wacko President Chavez. President Obama has been criticized by the conservative media for his graciousness in the face of evil. We do not dispute the atrocious behavior of Chavez – but we would remind all that diplomacy is not always easy – and being gracious in the face of nasty people is difficult. Here are a few examples in recent history.

Feral Children – Raised by Republicans

New opportunities for scientific research into nature and nurture continue to present themselves. At issue today, after thirty years of degenerate evolution of the Republican Party, is the social and intellectual skills of feral children raised by Republicans.

There are common traits now understood by anthropologists. The commonality originates in a nurturing environment of isolation, confinement, and strict conformity toharsh rule.

Warning to Readers – this post shifts from humor to very serious and graphic depictions of human behavior.

Middle School Social Regulation, Part II

As noted in a previous post I have been assigned the job of head chauffeur for my grand daughter in middle school.   Her parents moved out of State and she stayed behind to finish the school year.  She lives with her grandmother.  Enough of that – I pick her up every day from school and […]

Indicting George Bush for War Crimes

This writer is convinced that our former President, George W. Bush, committed war crimes. Specifically, the President authorized torture by water boarding and other means of interrogation – in violation of the Geneva Convention. Our country is a country of law. Situational justifying the breaking of law is a common defense in the lower courts. It does not work there – and it should not work for the President. But our life is more complicated in 2009.

Kevin Spacey Impersonations

Every now and then a real talent comes along. Kevin Spacey is one such talent. Check out this video where Spacey spontaneously impersonates Jimmy Stewart, Johnny Carson, Katherine Hepburn, Clint Eastwood and several others… [wp_youtube]O8JmN_-oudY[/wp_youtube] This guy has phenomenal powers of observation – and is able to translate his observations into superb acting. But Spacey […]

The Phenomenon of Modern Guns

My age is classified in the category of Senior. Does that by itself suggest anything about my understanding of modern guns? No, it does not. Just checking for any preconceived bias. By chance I have owned guns in one form or another for about 35 years. In 1976 I shot Marksman on a police combat course with a four inch stainless steel Ruger Security Six 357 Magnum. That was a mouthful, but it points out that modern guns are very different than the arms defined in the 2nd Amendment. And that was 35 years ago. Modern guns of the 21st Century are just plain scary.

Sunday Is For Religion, Tuesday Is For Politics

We obviously have a system that promotes a separation of Church and State. The week begins with Sunday at Church – then we take a day to cool off and return to a mentality of sanity, so we can go vote. Most elections are held on the first Tuesday of November or April. Church is always on Sunday, no matter which month. And that is how America works – faithfully keeping religion separate from politics.

The Big Disconnect Between Haves and Have-Nots

A really fascinating dichotomy occurs when community leaders have to go to the public for support on tax initiatives.  Our example is of a microcosm of modern America – the town of St. Joseph, Missouri.  We live in rural northwest Missouri, just outside of Punkin Center, and we watch the local economy.  The St. Joseph […]

Hypochondria – The Disease Of The Elderly

I am in the class of people politely referred to as ‘Senior.’ When I was young I thought Senior meant really old, fragile, frail, sickly, helpless. Today I understand Senior as that stage of life before Elderly. Senior is a prelude to an honest understanding of illness and mortality. Senior is that time of life where we begin to examine the ailments we will experience as elderly. I used to be a hypochondriac, but now I think I have something much worse. – it is called aging.

Obama’s War – Afghanistan

At what point does President Obama assume responsibility for a war?  Is accepting responsibility for the war the same thing as owning the war?  When does any President ‘own’ a war?  This is a curious talking point for the 24/7 news media.  Historically, we generally do not tag our Presidents as owners of wars that […]

Creating Countries in Our Own Image

President Obama has upped the ante in Afghanistan. He is sending another 17,000 troops to the beleaguered nation to ‘take the fight to Al Quaeda.’ One of the criticisms of past military efforts in this erratic region of the world is in defining the mission. Well, what is the mission? It is two fold: We want to punish those who attacked our country on 911, and we want to make sure they do not attack us again.

Rovian Media, Applying the Dark Arts to AIG

We confess right up front, we are guilty of capitalizing on the economic crisis.  We have fallen into the trap of a mob mentality.  When you look into the mob, you can see me on the third row from the front, last person on the left.  Fortunately for all of us, Atticus Finch and his […]

Bonuses for Republican Big Bosses

AIG – yesterday’s poster child for successful business – today’s poster child for greed, corruption, and righteous indignation. The AIG big whigs are getting big bonuses, paid for by you and me, taxpayers. So here is the question – how do you think these folks voted last November? Did they vote for Mr. Deregulation John McCain, or the upstart Barrack Obama? Are they Republicans or Democrats?

Bernie Madoff, Adequate Sorrow, Adequate Punishment

Madoff had his day in court.  He will have more.  Madoff plead guilty to eleven felony counts of fraud – of stealing from trusting customers.  But Madoff did not just steal the jewelery like a common burglar, he took the whole house, the car, the children’s teddy bear, and the family retirement account.  In his […]

Middle School, Learning to Say NO!

The adventures of grandpa as the driver for my thirteen year old granddaughter continue.  Her family moved to Texas or Wyoming, I can never remember which, and she is staying with her Nana to finish out the school year.  She was not ready to punch cows, and lasso boys.  Anyway, my job is of after-school-driver.  […]

Middle School, Crash Course in Social Regulation

I have been relegated to driver – and drivers are best seen and not heard. The girls chat, and chat, and chat. I think they call each other on their cell phones and talk to each other in the car. I drop the first girl off and twenty seconds later she is calling one of the remaining girls in the car. Chat, chat, chat. That is how it goes. They talk about how other students were dressed, what was said in response to question from the teachers, and other things that I do not quite understand. They speak the language of the future – I speak the language of the past.

McCain Continues Trivial Pursuit

John McCain demonstrated his proclivity for trivia in the last election for President. While the country was facing two wars and an economic collapse beyond any seen in recent memory, McCain was harping about Bill Ayers. He lost the election but has not lost his desire to make a big deal out of small things.

Obama – Spending or Investing, Big Differences

President Obama has proposed a huge federal budget.  In actual adjusted dollars the budget is the largest since 1945, just as we were coming out of WWII.  The Republicans are shouting and whining and crying the traditional refrain: “The Liberal are spending our money!  Run for your life!”  Obviously, there is much spending – but […]

Promoting the Liberal Myth

There seems to be a mythology of the liberal cause. The term ‘Liberal’ is used as a noun to describe a secret sect of devil worshipers. The implication is something like this: Liberals meet in secret places, conduct secret rituals, and are the root of the new world order meant to destroy freedom and prosperity. Liberals prefer socialism to capitalism. Liberals prefer dictators to democracy. Liberals want to reward terrorists. Liberals think Labor Unions should run businesses. They are like the Freemasons, except they are more organized and more evil.

Colbert and Conan – String Dancing

What can we say – these two are great comedians. Steven Colbert and Conan O’Brian often play off each other – they make fun of each other and politicians should take a clue of how to react. Conan invented the ‘string dance’ and Colbert imitated Conan. Here they are together:

The Sentence – confusing a simple thought

The sentence is the most simple form of expressing a thought. The sentence must have a subject and a predicate – well, not exactly. The subject and predicate can be explicit, or simply understood. We are assuming of course that one wants to express a complete thought. But a sentence may also have an object, may have modifiers, may have connectives, and may have independent elements. So what is so hard about that? Please feel free to help with this understanding.

Bobby McFerrin

Check this out.  The classical singer Bobby McFerrin with some classical interpretations. McFerrin is to music what Jim Carey is to comedy. No, wait, that discredits McFerrin – he is incomparable. Here is Ave Maria, all voice with no instrumental accompaniment – a fascinating expose by a true master. The theater is in the round. […]

Lincoln and Obama, Saving the Union

What is President Obama really saying about the economic stimulus package before Congress.  Here is what I heard, “It is of the right scope, and addresses the right issues.”  What does he mean by that?  Does he agree with all of the details of the package? When Abraham Lincoln faced the Ciivil War, the most […]

Buddy Holly

Buddy Holly, a real American talent. True Love Ways: Live in 1958: The day the music died: And here is Don McClean singing American Pie:

Republican Peanut Butter

Have you bought any peanut butter lately? If so, perhaps you should check the label for signs of the GOP. The current wide spread salmonella poisoning of peanut butter is a great metaphor for the leadership of the GOP for the past eight years. The Bush administration, supported by the same congressmen who now oppose Obama, had one simple philosophy in domestic affairs: Leave Business Alone!