Sarge

No snub

Recently one of our Congressional Delegation created a stir when invited to the White House for, allegedly, a meeting concerning the raising of the national debt ceiling. Instead Representative Jeff Landry blew a hole in the ceiling with his refusal to attend. Some felt this was a snub of the Presidency. It was merely a snub of the never-ending need to grandstand, posture and assume the role of elemental political poseur.

Irony at sunset

The morning dawned over the gulf with a beauty I’d forgotten. For some reason I’d decided to accept an invitation to travel to a friend’s “camp” in Cocodrie. I never knew what I’d missed over the years.

Quotations

I found a quote from the bible while scanning “Dear Prudence”, Emily Yoffe’s advice column. She advised a man on how he should deal with a family of devout Christians after having decided he’d lost his faith. The correspondent signed off with the name: “the whitewashed tomb”.

The Disease

I have a strange disease. It’s one I believe I can’t overcome. It became evident the other day when I found myself looking through an old set of books I have. It was a minor thing, but I found it to be preceded by a feeling of internalized warmth. It was pleasant, like reconnecting with old friends after being apart for a long time. My mind opened. There was a light headedness making me feel like I was a part of something special happening. But, it made me crave more. It was like an old addiction raising its head to consume me and lead me somewhere I wasn’t sure I could return from.

Fresh, clean eyes

Our political beauty contest, the manner we choose to follow when selecting political candidates for the highest office in the land, is stupid. It’s recessive instead of progressive. We accept it to avoid stepping out of our comfort zones.

Credentials overpowering Credibility

Practical politics consists of ignoring facts. -- Henry Brooks Adams The greatest dangers to liberty lurk in insidious encroachment by men of zeal, well meaning, but without understanding. -- Louis D. Brandeis

Theater of the absurd

It has been the political career of this man to begin with hypocrisy, proceed with arrogance, and finish with contempt. -- Thomas Paine (1776) Politics, being the specific type of animal it is, attracts men (and women) of the above mentioned ilk. The advertisement is made describing a particular train of thought and that the person advertising is specifically cut from the whole cloth of truth. They’re patriotic. They’re steadfast. They live by principles and stand ready to sacrifice for the position.

Fallacy

Definition of (-cracy) Combined element forming nouns meaning “rule of the government by,” from Fr. -cratie or M.L. –cratia, from Gk. – kratia “power, might; rule, sway; power over; a power, authority, “from kratos “strength,” from PIE *kratus “power, strength” Barnhart Dictionary of Etymology 1995, Harper Collins The greatest fallacy of the ages is the mistaken belief that American people rule themselves. It just isn’t so, folks, because you can use most any word as a prefix with the suffix: -cracy. Democracy is, allegedly, government by the people. In general it’s not possible in America because we live with a process and organic governmental organization deciding our elected President. It’s called the Electoral College and removes true democracy from the people.

Managers & Stewards?

Definition of Economy: (n) (pre-1393 B.C.E) from the Greek oekonomia, from oekonomos – meaning manager or steward Barnhart Concise Dictionary of Etymology Harper- Collins (pub.) The funny thing about Congress is the number of allegedly intelligent, educated and reasonable people accumulated in one room at any particular time. But for all of the extended levels of education our legislators claim, they’re still some of the dumbest people on the planet. I point out the irony of the fact they can’t quote (for the most part) the definition just given by a layman (me). (If you don’t believe it, ask a “Lege” (legislator) where the word originated. It’ll prove enlightening and troubling.)

Hostage takers

All of this action being accomplished by the “public sector” union members in Wisconsin is a problem. In the effort to assure they have a voice in the manner teachers are paid and given benefits, the unions have come across as thugs and extortionists. They’re proving to be hostage takers in what they laughingly describe as a pursuit of the right to “negotiate”.

Representation

There’s been a great deal of angst concerning labor unions, government’s response to collective bargaining and whether or not it all has an impact on anybody, the economy or the taste of raspberry crème cupcakes. It affects everybody, punches holes in the economies of states and a nation and sours the taste of a raspberry crème cupcake. (Maybe not so much but I’m trying to see a funny in here somewhere.)

Cowardice

I belong to a group believing the Constitution is more than a series of Burma Shave signs on America’s historical highway. “We the people stomp and shout but when it’s needed the Constitution’s out” – Bummer Shave”. Tacky, I know but we’re living in the interesting times the Chinese Curse spoke about.

Protest

In California, a great debate was brought forth by Islamic Students. They feel wronged because they vocally and vehemently protested a speaker at their University of California – Irvine campus. They were commanded to desist and depart; they did. They were punished by their University’s disciplinary system in so far as the comportment of student organizations is concerned.

Vitriolic rhetoric

Vitriolic rhetoric is the topic of the day. Politicians are bandying the term about like they have some sort of lock on the terminology. It’s cliché already. Senator James Clyburn (D) (SC) used the term and looked as uncomfortable as to nearly pass a stone when he said it.

To express in words

I’ve been challenged by people occasionally and they start telling me off because of the way I write. “Man, I like what you write and what you have to say but every time I turn around I have to stop, get a dictionary and look up the word you used!”

Insurance, ensurance, assurance redux (cont,)

Insurance was always looked at by the public as a gamble on the part of the company issuing the policies. In response to accepting the risk, the company could dictate the insured behave in a manner ensuring there was a lessening of the risk executed or undertaken, or that the insured pay more for the coverage. For example, a man specializing in Bomb Disposal could be ordered to maintain certifications, training and protective equipment and its upkeep to cut the risk of him becoming fertilizer at the scene of a bomb disposal.

Insurance, ensurance, assurance redux

Definitions: Insurance (n): contract that guarantees compensation for theft, damages, etc., for a fee Ensure (v): to protect Assure (v): 1. a guarantee; 2.to confirm confidently; 3. (Brit.) insure Risk(n): hazard: a source of danger; a possibility of incurring loss or misfortune; 2 a venture undertaken with regard to possible loss or injury; 3. expose to a chance of loss or damage; 4. Gamble Source

Procedures

To whom it may concern at the Doctor’s Office, Having received your latest request for payment concerning your inestimable and appreciated professional services I must admit I may be suffering a lack of proper oxygen perfusion. There’s a recognizable lack of memory as to when I experienced fun during this. It’s my fear I’ve suffered an episode of Alzheimer’s or post-billing cycle hysterical amnesia.

The Double Helix

The Constitution is the keel of this ship of state we call America. And, it’s under attack (as always seems to be the case) by people thinking they’re so much more intelligent than the masters created it in the first place. These people work like wood borers, sticking their noses into every nook and cranny to exploit a perceived weakness that wouldn’t be there if they hadn’t started nosing around in the first place. These people gain strength and notoriety for their presence, and because they’re recognized as being there, they think they’re appreciated.

Public opinion?

It becomes a necessity that we understand where we stand in this country. “Out in the cold” comes to mind when it comes to our ability to practice good governance. From where I’m sitting it looks like there are more and more hyper-educated pundit wannabees in the media. For some reason or another we’re regularly told what we think. This is called POLLING. The numbers of positive responses to carefully selected questions are compared against the number of negative responses and after careful computation and interpretation they tell us what they want us to hear. This is called Statistical Analysis.