Good old folks!
Sometimes when watching the news, I wonder what my father and my grandfather would think if they saw the same newscast. Usually I imagine they would fall off the sofa laughing!
My grandfather was born in 1862 (died in 1937), my father was born in 1893 (died in 1968). No need to explain that these men survived drought and floods, heat and cold, times of prosperity and times of financial hardship; they saw recessions, depressions, booms and busts and numerous wars.
Yesterday a news report covered the hot July weather that is sweeping the nation. One reporter told the sad story of hardship suffered by someone who had no air conditioning.
My grandfather, who had never heard of air conditioning, would have seemed puzzled and asked "Had no what?"
My father (who, late in his life had a window air conditioning unit) would have explained that air conditioning is a machine that makes your house cooler. Both men would have laughed.
We have become a nation of ninnies who agonize over the loss of some modern convenience which our ancestors did very well without for their entire lives.
Were those times the good old days? Of course not. But those were the good old people. They certainly appreciated the benefits of modern conveniences, but they saw those things as conveniences... not essentials for life.
Thursday, July 21, 2011
Wednesday, July 06, 2011
The Casey Anthony Verdict - A Great Day For America
I have always deplored the fact that much of our American Culture is a popularity contest. Many years ago a friend suggested that in America no one could be elected to political office who parted his hair in the middle or who wore a mustache. That may not have been true then or now, but it is a fact that appearances weigh heavily on public opinion.
I also deplore the fact that we defer to a person with a visibly perceptible disability, but often vilify someone with an unseen affliction. We show sympathy for any person with a missing limb, but scoff at a mentally ill person who behaves in an uncharacteristic way.
Like many people, I must struggle to hide my disapproval of a obese person or one who is slovenly. In fact, I usually resent the guy who comes into an eatery wearing a soiled baseball cap and sits across from me, wearing the hat throughout his meal. Those appearances are things I very much dislike, but they are hardly punishable offenses.
I was but 3 1/2 years old when the infant son of hero aviator Charles Lindberg was kidnapped in March of 1932. Like the body of little Caylee Anthony, Lindberg's son was later found, decomposed. A small boy myself, I found that event frightening.
That tragic story and the ensuing trial dragged on for three years before a man named Bruno Richard Hauptman was convicted in March of 1935, and executed a year later in April, 1936, when I was seven years old.
Hauptmann was convicted on circumstantial evidence and, while there was no TV and scant radio coverage available in my farm home, I never believed Hauptmann was proven guilty of that crime. That trial and its outcome, in fact, has haunted me.
Now comes the case of Caylee Anthony. Having been blessed with four sisters, three daughters and seven granddaughters, everyone who knows me knows that I adore little girls. As I have blogged before, I believe little girls to be our most precious and fragile asset. They are, after all, the mothers of our next generation. To see a little girl die so young is the saddest of all tragedies.
If that death was because of a deliberate act by an adult, that person should be found and punished to the full extent of the law... but not beyond. They should not be lynched. Not shot like a dog. Their punishment should be inflicted only after there is solid, unshakable proof of their guilt.
As with the Lindberg trial, I did not follow the proceedings of the Anthony trial. That was the job of the jury, not mine. I had no interest in watching the emotional suffering of others, as did millions of TV viewers.
Casey Anthony has acted in an unusual, largely inexplicable manner. But this was not a popularity contest. The jury, rightfully, did not consider anything but the charges filed against Casey Anthony by the State of Florida. Unquestionably, she lied to authorities - for which she has been convicted. But lying is not a capitol crime. The state of Florida did not prove that she killed her daughter, and I am so grateful for the jury that reached that conclusion.
Having enjoyed a career in the news reporting business, I know we are not permitted to declare someone guilty of a crime unless they are convicted by a court of law. Once that conviction is affirmed, however, we may then legally call them a criminal. Conversely, when a person is acquitted, they are legally innocent. If we are to remain a nation of laws, we must cling to that principle. Agree or not, we must accept the verdict in the Anthony trial.
Casey Anthony did not kill her daughter. We may never know who did, or if it was truly an accidental death, or why Casey behaved as she did. Was she emotionally disturbed, as the defense seemed to infer? We cannot see that disability, if it existed. We can never know beyond the best assessment of medical experts.
She lied to the cops. She has been punished. Now she should be regarded the innocent citizen the court has declared her to be, and allowed, if she so wills, to attempt to put her life back together.
I have always deplored the fact that much of our American Culture is a popularity contest. Many years ago a friend suggested that in America no one could be elected to political office who parted his hair in the middle or who wore a mustache. That may not have been true then or now, but it is a fact that appearances weigh heavily on public opinion.
I also deplore the fact that we defer to a person with a visibly perceptible disability, but often vilify someone with an unseen affliction. We show sympathy for any person with a missing limb, but scoff at a mentally ill person who behaves in an uncharacteristic way.
Like many people, I must struggle to hide my disapproval of a obese person or one who is slovenly. In fact, I usually resent the guy who comes into an eatery wearing a soiled baseball cap and sits across from me, wearing the hat throughout his meal. Those appearances are things I very much dislike, but they are hardly punishable offenses.
I was but 3 1/2 years old when the infant son of hero aviator Charles Lindberg was kidnapped in March of 1932. Like the body of little Caylee Anthony, Lindberg's son was later found, decomposed. A small boy myself, I found that event frightening.
That tragic story and the ensuing trial dragged on for three years before a man named Bruno Richard Hauptman was convicted in March of 1935, and executed a year later in April, 1936, when I was seven years old.
Hauptmann was convicted on circumstantial evidence and, while there was no TV and scant radio coverage available in my farm home, I never believed Hauptmann was proven guilty of that crime. That trial and its outcome, in fact, has haunted me.
Now comes the case of Caylee Anthony. Having been blessed with four sisters, three daughters and seven granddaughters, everyone who knows me knows that I adore little girls. As I have blogged before, I believe little girls to be our most precious and fragile asset. They are, after all, the mothers of our next generation. To see a little girl die so young is the saddest of all tragedies.
If that death was because of a deliberate act by an adult, that person should be found and punished to the full extent of the law... but not beyond. They should not be lynched. Not shot like a dog. Their punishment should be inflicted only after there is solid, unshakable proof of their guilt.
As with the Lindberg trial, I did not follow the proceedings of the Anthony trial. That was the job of the jury, not mine. I had no interest in watching the emotional suffering of others, as did millions of TV viewers.
Casey Anthony has acted in an unusual, largely inexplicable manner. But this was not a popularity contest. The jury, rightfully, did not consider anything but the charges filed against Casey Anthony by the State of Florida. Unquestionably, she lied to authorities - for which she has been convicted. But lying is not a capitol crime. The state of Florida did not prove that she killed her daughter, and I am so grateful for the jury that reached that conclusion.
Having enjoyed a career in the news reporting business, I know we are not permitted to declare someone guilty of a crime unless they are convicted by a court of law. Once that conviction is affirmed, however, we may then legally call them a criminal. Conversely, when a person is acquitted, they are legally innocent. If we are to remain a nation of laws, we must cling to that principle. Agree or not, we must accept the verdict in the Anthony trial.
Casey Anthony did not kill her daughter. We may never know who did, or if it was truly an accidental death, or why Casey behaved as she did. Was she emotionally disturbed, as the defense seemed to infer? We cannot see that disability, if it existed. We can never know beyond the best assessment of medical experts.
She lied to the cops. She has been punished. Now she should be regarded the innocent citizen the court has declared her to be, and allowed, if she so wills, to attempt to put her life back together.
Thursday, June 30, 2011
Regulations
There are so many people living on this crowded planet, there must be regulations. Traffic lanes, "No Swimming" signs near dangerous waters, etc.
Some folks, however, want more regulations and government bureaucrats are quick to accommodate.
Some years ago I had an advertising client who operated a small meat packing operation. In the meat-cutting room, there were, unavoidably, scraps of meat that hit the floor. The Dept. of Agriculture arbitrarily determined that this floor be cleaned up and mopped every two hours.
An OSHA inspector checked the plant soon after one mopping and decided it was unsafe for the butchers to work with their sharp knives while standing on a wet concrete floor. He ordered that the butchers be forbidden to work until the floor was dry.
Obeying both orders would essentially shut down the operation.
Shortly after I heard this news, I attended a marketing meeting. Something was said about government regulations and I immediately started grousing. One attendee, Chairman of a large Chicago direct marketing advertising agency challenged me, demanding "Are you suggesting there be no regulations?". I began to criticize Michael Pertschuk, then Chairman of the Federal Trade Commission, and immediately became invisible. The others just turned away from me and proceeded to discuss another subject.
Okay, as a teen may have said, "My bad." In a discussion with any liberal - or even a sane person - never lead with your emotions.
No, I do not believe there should be no regulations. I do insist, however, that regulations which serve to control the behavior of others, whether in business or personal life, are a serious matter. They should never be taken lightly or imposed without adequate scrutiny.
Given the government's abject failure at managing almost anything, I believe no government should be empowered to formulate regulations without public input.
It is a fact that some government agencies do offer proposed new regulations for public comment before final enactment. Even this, however, has shortcomings.
About fifty years ago, the Federal Communications Commission proposed new rule making governing the way broadcasters maintain program logs. At the time, broadcasters were required to maintain a log, recording the beginning and ending time of every program, the time every commercial was broadcast, etc.
The proposed rules included a requirement that a station log every time the station's call letter was announced. In those days of analog electronics, dial position was difficult to determine on radio sets, so stations promoted their call letter. Most disk jockeys announced their call letters several times during every break. It would be impossible to record every time.
I proposed that the new rules require that station ID announcements be logged on the hour and half hour... but not every time in between. While I was at it, I proposed several other changes.
I couldn't imagine that the mighty FCC would incorporate my suggestions. When the new rules were finally published, they did, to my amazement, include every one of my proposals.
Conclusions? 1. The bureaucrats who originally wrote the new rules had no idea what they were writing. 2. People in the industry are too busy trying to do their jobs to read and respond to proposed rule-making.
Maybe we should just adopt only regulations warning of an immediate matter of public safety. The only permissible punishment for breaking the rule would be to suffer the consequences of the unsafe situation, and no one could file a lawsuit.
There are so many people living on this crowded planet, there must be regulations. Traffic lanes, "No Swimming" signs near dangerous waters, etc.
Some folks, however, want more regulations and government bureaucrats are quick to accommodate.
Some years ago I had an advertising client who operated a small meat packing operation. In the meat-cutting room, there were, unavoidably, scraps of meat that hit the floor. The Dept. of Agriculture arbitrarily determined that this floor be cleaned up and mopped every two hours.
An OSHA inspector checked the plant soon after one mopping and decided it was unsafe for the butchers to work with their sharp knives while standing on a wet concrete floor. He ordered that the butchers be forbidden to work until the floor was dry.
Obeying both orders would essentially shut down the operation.
Shortly after I heard this news, I attended a marketing meeting. Something was said about government regulations and I immediately started grousing. One attendee, Chairman of a large Chicago direct marketing advertising agency challenged me, demanding "Are you suggesting there be no regulations?". I began to criticize Michael Pertschuk, then Chairman of the Federal Trade Commission, and immediately became invisible. The others just turned away from me and proceeded to discuss another subject.
Okay, as a teen may have said, "My bad." In a discussion with any liberal - or even a sane person - never lead with your emotions.
No, I do not believe there should be no regulations. I do insist, however, that regulations which serve to control the behavior of others, whether in business or personal life, are a serious matter. They should never be taken lightly or imposed without adequate scrutiny.
Given the government's abject failure at managing almost anything, I believe no government should be empowered to formulate regulations without public input.
It is a fact that some government agencies do offer proposed new regulations for public comment before final enactment. Even this, however, has shortcomings.
About fifty years ago, the Federal Communications Commission proposed new rule making governing the way broadcasters maintain program logs. At the time, broadcasters were required to maintain a log, recording the beginning and ending time of every program, the time every commercial was broadcast, etc.
The proposed rules included a requirement that a station log every time the station's call letter was announced. In those days of analog electronics, dial position was difficult to determine on radio sets, so stations promoted their call letter. Most disk jockeys announced their call letters several times during every break. It would be impossible to record every time.
I proposed that the new rules require that station ID announcements be logged on the hour and half hour... but not every time in between. While I was at it, I proposed several other changes.
I couldn't imagine that the mighty FCC would incorporate my suggestions. When the new rules were finally published, they did, to my amazement, include every one of my proposals.
Conclusions? 1. The bureaucrats who originally wrote the new rules had no idea what they were writing. 2. People in the industry are too busy trying to do their jobs to read and respond to proposed rule-making.
Maybe we should just adopt only regulations warning of an immediate matter of public safety. The only permissible punishment for breaking the rule would be to suffer the consequences of the unsafe situation, and no one could file a lawsuit.
Wednesday, June 29, 2011
Things that irk!
George Mason University's Distinguished Professor Walter Williams recently wrote: "There are a lot of things, large and small, that irk me. One of them is our tendency to evaluate a presidential candidate based on his intelligence or academic credentials."
Well.. that started me thinking... what was Dr. Williams talking about? So I decided to look up the formal education credentials of the presidents.
First, a few of the "good" presidents:
No. 1: George Washington has long been described as First in War, First in Peace, First in the hearts of his countrymen. His education was rudimentary, probably being obtained from tutors but possibly also from private schools, and he learned surveying.
No. 2: Abraham Lincoln gained what education he could along the way. While reading law, he worked in a store, managed a mill, surveyed, and split rails.
No. 3: Thomas Jefferson attended the College of William and Mary and read law (1762-1767) with George Wythe, the greatest law teacher of his generation in Virginia.
No. 4: Ronald Wilson Reagan earned a BA degree in 1932 from Eureka (Ill.) College.
No. 5: Harry S. Truman attended the public schools in Independence, Mo.
And, a few "stinkers":
No. 1: (Thomas) Woodrow Wilson. A Princeton graduate, he turned from law practice to post-graduate work in political science at Johns Hopkins University, receiving his Ph.D. in 1886. He taught at Bryn Mawr, Wesleyan, and Princeton, and in 1902 was made president of Princeton.
No. 2: Franklin Delano Roosevelt. A Harvard graduate, he also attended Columbia Law School.
No. 3. Theodore Roosevelt. A Harvard graduate.
No. 4: William Howard Taft. A Yale graduate.
No. 5: James Earl Carter, Jr. Graduated from the U.S. Naval Academy at Annapolis
And, we must not forget:
No. 6: Barack Hussein Obama obtained early education in Jakarta, Indonesia, and Hawaii; continued education at Occidental College, Los Angeles, Calif.; received a B.A. in 1983 from Columbia University, New York City; studied law at Harvard University, where he received J.D. in 1991
I could go on, but no need... I now think I see what Dr. Williams was talking about!
George Mason University's Distinguished Professor Walter Williams recently wrote: "There are a lot of things, large and small, that irk me. One of them is our tendency to evaluate a presidential candidate based on his intelligence or academic credentials."
Well.. that started me thinking... what was Dr. Williams talking about? So I decided to look up the formal education credentials of the presidents.
First, a few of the "good" presidents:
No. 1: George Washington has long been described as First in War, First in Peace, First in the hearts of his countrymen. His education was rudimentary, probably being obtained from tutors but possibly also from private schools, and he learned surveying.
No. 2: Abraham Lincoln gained what education he could along the way. While reading law, he worked in a store, managed a mill, surveyed, and split rails.
No. 3: Thomas Jefferson attended the College of William and Mary and read law (1762-1767) with George Wythe, the greatest law teacher of his generation in Virginia.
No. 4: Ronald Wilson Reagan earned a BA degree in 1932 from Eureka (Ill.) College.
No. 5: Harry S. Truman attended the public schools in Independence, Mo.
And, a few "stinkers":
No. 1: (Thomas) Woodrow Wilson. A Princeton graduate, he turned from law practice to post-graduate work in political science at Johns Hopkins University, receiving his Ph.D. in 1886. He taught at Bryn Mawr, Wesleyan, and Princeton, and in 1902 was made president of Princeton.
No. 2: Franklin Delano Roosevelt. A Harvard graduate, he also attended Columbia Law School.
No. 3. Theodore Roosevelt. A Harvard graduate.
No. 4: William Howard Taft. A Yale graduate.
No. 5: James Earl Carter, Jr. Graduated from the U.S. Naval Academy at Annapolis
And, we must not forget:
No. 6: Barack Hussein Obama obtained early education in Jakarta, Indonesia, and Hawaii; continued education at Occidental College, Los Angeles, Calif.; received a B.A. in 1983 from Columbia University, New York City; studied law at Harvard University, where he received J.D. in 1991
I could go on, but no need... I now think I see what Dr. Williams was talking about!
Tuesday, June 28, 2011
Memories From My Youth - III
Clang, clang, clang went the trolley. Those were the opening words of a song about street cars. Amusing to me, that noise was the thing most remembered about those old electric-powered rail cars that once clattered through the streets of America's large cities. They were not all noisy, of course, especially the latter ones, and I loved them.
When I was young, street cars were reasonably fast, they were clean (no exhaust), comfortable and convenient. They were frequent - you never had to wait more than a few minutes - they stopped at almost every other corner, and were very low cost. Fare was 10¢, or you could buy three tokens (for three rides) for a quarter.
By using transfers, you could jump from one line to another, and transfers were free. You could ride all over the city for a dime.
In my home town of Kansas City, the geography is defined by two rivers - the Kansas River (known as the Kaw) flowing east across Kansas and the Missouri River flowing south from Montana. Reaching higher ground at Kansas City, the Missouri takes a hard left turn, just where it is joined by the Kaw, and heads east across the state toward St. Louis to mix with the Mississippi.
Downtown Kansas City, Missouri is on high ground, but a west bound street car line had to transport passengers across the West Bottoms, through Kansas City's famous Stock yards and packing house districts, into Kansas City, Kansas.
The drop from Kansas City, MO into the West Bottoms was essentially a cliff. To make the descent, the transit company dug a tunnel, starting several blocks short of the cliff's edge, then making a gentle drop to the lower ground. I frequently rode that line and loved entering the tunnel on a hot summer day to glide through the cool darkness and emerge into the sunlight on the lower side.
One street car memory was from August 15, 1945. Radio news had informed that the Japanese government was about to sign General MacArthur's unconditional surrender documents and a large crowd began to gather on 12th Street. When the announcement of the surrender came, the huge crowd burst into joyous song, and all the boys started kissing the girls. I was soon smeared in lipstick from ear to ear.
A street car operator, on his assigned route down 12th street, edged into the crowd. Someone went to the back of the car, grabbed the rope to the trolley and pulled it down, disengaging the car's source of power. Throughout the evening that street car sat there in the middle of 12th Street, the operator in his seat watching the celebration.
My wife also remembers street cars. when she was a small girl her father worked for a time as a street car operator. Sometimes at night, when passenger traffic was light, he would let her ride along to the end of his line and return. Truth be known, he even let her operate the car at times. No cause for alarm here... street cars rode on tracks - no steering required.
Most street cars have disappeared from cities across the country. Happily the city of San Francisco has restored a few of the cars which now ply Market Street. You'll even see one with Kansas City Public Transit Company lettered on its bright yellow side. If that old car could talk, it might remember cool summer nights in Kansas City when a small girl sat at its controls on Troost Avenue.
Clang, clang, clang went the trolley. Those were the opening words of a song about street cars. Amusing to me, that noise was the thing most remembered about those old electric-powered rail cars that once clattered through the streets of America's large cities. They were not all noisy, of course, especially the latter ones, and I loved them.
When I was young, street cars were reasonably fast, they were clean (no exhaust), comfortable and convenient. They were frequent - you never had to wait more than a few minutes - they stopped at almost every other corner, and were very low cost. Fare was 10¢, or you could buy three tokens (for three rides) for a quarter.
By using transfers, you could jump from one line to another, and transfers were free. You could ride all over the city for a dime.
In my home town of Kansas City, the geography is defined by two rivers - the Kansas River (known as the Kaw) flowing east across Kansas and the Missouri River flowing south from Montana. Reaching higher ground at Kansas City, the Missouri takes a hard left turn, just where it is joined by the Kaw, and heads east across the state toward St. Louis to mix with the Mississippi.
Downtown Kansas City, Missouri is on high ground, but a west bound street car line had to transport passengers across the West Bottoms, through Kansas City's famous Stock yards and packing house districts, into Kansas City, Kansas.
The drop from Kansas City, MO into the West Bottoms was essentially a cliff. To make the descent, the transit company dug a tunnel, starting several blocks short of the cliff's edge, then making a gentle drop to the lower ground. I frequently rode that line and loved entering the tunnel on a hot summer day to glide through the cool darkness and emerge into the sunlight on the lower side.
One street car memory was from August 15, 1945. Radio news had informed that the Japanese government was about to sign General MacArthur's unconditional surrender documents and a large crowd began to gather on 12th Street. When the announcement of the surrender came, the huge crowd burst into joyous song, and all the boys started kissing the girls. I was soon smeared in lipstick from ear to ear.
A street car operator, on his assigned route down 12th street, edged into the crowd. Someone went to the back of the car, grabbed the rope to the trolley and pulled it down, disengaging the car's source of power. Throughout the evening that street car sat there in the middle of 12th Street, the operator in his seat watching the celebration.
My wife also remembers street cars. when she was a small girl her father worked for a time as a street car operator. Sometimes at night, when passenger traffic was light, he would let her ride along to the end of his line and return. Truth be known, he even let her operate the car at times. No cause for alarm here... street cars rode on tracks - no steering required.
Most street cars have disappeared from cities across the country. Happily the city of San Francisco has restored a few of the cars which now ply Market Street. You'll even see one with Kansas City Public Transit Company lettered on its bright yellow side. If that old car could talk, it might remember cool summer nights in Kansas City when a small girl sat at its controls on Troost Avenue.
Blagojevich is found guilty!
Well, the jury has found former Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich guilty on 17 of 20 counts levied against him!
It isn't over, of course. There will be appeals until there is no higher court to which to appeal, and someone will then decide how he is to be punished.
Here is how I see it: They went into a forest teeming with skunks. One was a little noisy and unlike the others, failed to slink away in the shadows. The skunk police grabbed him by the tail and dragged him out of the forest. "You are stinking up the forest", they declared, "and you must be punished!".
Rod Blagojevich has been punished. Ignoring the decision of the electorate, he was thrown out of office and dragged into court. "He must be punished more!", vowed the skunk police.
Surely he will be punished more - perhaps not until after the November, 2012 elections, and after Rahm Emanuel is well established in his office as Chicago mayor -
Rod Blagojevicjh will be punished more... and, the forest will still stink.
Well, the jury has found former Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich guilty on 17 of 20 counts levied against him!
It isn't over, of course. There will be appeals until there is no higher court to which to appeal, and someone will then decide how he is to be punished.
Here is how I see it: They went into a forest teeming with skunks. One was a little noisy and unlike the others, failed to slink away in the shadows. The skunk police grabbed him by the tail and dragged him out of the forest. "You are stinking up the forest", they declared, "and you must be punished!".
Rod Blagojevich has been punished. Ignoring the decision of the electorate, he was thrown out of office and dragged into court. "He must be punished more!", vowed the skunk police.
Surely he will be punished more - perhaps not until after the November, 2012 elections, and after Rahm Emanuel is well established in his office as Chicago mayor -
Rod Blagojevicjh will be punished more... and, the forest will still stink.
Friday, June 24, 2011
DÉJÀ VU all over again!
So said Yogi Berra - to the consternation of both French and English language police and many others. But we common people knew exactly what Yogi meant... "more of the same old crap"! Today, when it comes to politics, we add "...and again and again!"
I was only five years old when President Franklin Roosevelt gave us the AAA. It had nothing to do with automobiles - it was the Agriculture Adjustment Act, intended to protect farmers from price drops. (It lives on in today's Dept. of Agriculture subsidies. Wasn't that smart???).
Before I was eight years old, FDR also gave us the CWA, CCC, FERA, FDIC, NIRA, NYA, PWA, REA, SEC, Social Security (for pensions, unemployment insurance, and aid to blind, deaf, disabled, and dependent children!) TVA, NLRB and WPA.
Obviously, as a small farm boy, I was not aware of the significance of all these misguided acts, but I saw adults shake their heads and agonize over their implementation... I knew there was something bad about what FDR was doing.
But, at the same time, we often sat in front of our old Atwater-Kent radio set, listening to the rantings (in German) of someone called Adolph Hitler. That was more ominous, and Americans accepted living with The New Deal.
We are still suffering from Roosevelt's stupidity (ask Boeing about the NLRB), yet, our current president is trying to do it all over again... just let us manage things and we will recover from this recession we inherited!
FDR stayed in office because World War Two had caused Americans to crave stability. Thus, the 1930 economic slowdown (which the Dems labeled a recession they had inherited from Herbert Hoover) turned into a depression that lasted well into the 1940s.
Please, please, America... we cannot let this conclusion occur "all over again"!
So said Yogi Berra - to the consternation of both French and English language police and many others. But we common people knew exactly what Yogi meant... "more of the same old crap"! Today, when it comes to politics, we add "...and again and again!"
I was only five years old when President Franklin Roosevelt gave us the AAA. It had nothing to do with automobiles - it was the Agriculture Adjustment Act, intended to protect farmers from price drops. (It lives on in today's Dept. of Agriculture subsidies. Wasn't that smart???).
Before I was eight years old, FDR also gave us the CWA, CCC, FERA, FDIC, NIRA, NYA, PWA, REA, SEC, Social Security (for pensions, unemployment insurance, and aid to blind, deaf, disabled, and dependent children!) TVA, NLRB and WPA.
Obviously, as a small farm boy, I was not aware of the significance of all these misguided acts, but I saw adults shake their heads and agonize over their implementation... I knew there was something bad about what FDR was doing.
But, at the same time, we often sat in front of our old Atwater-Kent radio set, listening to the rantings (in German) of someone called Adolph Hitler. That was more ominous, and Americans accepted living with The New Deal.
We are still suffering from Roosevelt's stupidity (ask Boeing about the NLRB), yet, our current president is trying to do it all over again... just let us manage things and we will recover from this recession we inherited!
FDR stayed in office because World War Two had caused Americans to crave stability. Thus, the 1930 economic slowdown (which the Dems labeled a recession they had inherited from Herbert Hoover) turned into a depression that lasted well into the 1940s.
Please, please, America... we cannot let this conclusion occur "all over again"!
Tuesday, June 21, 2011
Memories From My Youth II
The other day I heard again Roger Miller's old recording "King Of The Road", wherein two hours of pushin' broom bought the guy a place to sleep. About the same time I heard mention of some event from 1945. My mind blended the two scraps of information and came up with a memory.
In April, 1945, I was 16 years old. Proving that a 16-year-old boy is near the top of the list of the most stupid of creatures, I loaded onto a Greyhound bus in Kansas City and headed for San Diego, CA.
My billfold was about as empty as my head. A friend, newly out of U.S. Navy boot camp and now stationed in San Diego had written me about the wonders of San Diego and the incredible employment opportunities there.
Arriving in San Diego, the first thing I learned was that in 1945 California, a 16-year-old youth had to attend high school. Forget about getting a job! In a few days I was almost out of cash and totally out of a place to live. Turns out my friend had an uncle in Azusa, CA who would pretend to be my guardian and help me get a job - if I came to Azusa.
I could take a bus the next morning... but where would I sleep tonight? I wandered into a YMCA and sat through some sort of religious service in an auditorium equipped with church-like benches. Today I have no recollection of what I watched there, my mind was hung up on the idea of going back onto the street when it ended.
When the service was over, everyone else filed out the door. I walked up to someone who appeared to be in charge and asked if I could lie down on the bench and spend the night. The person thought for a moment and decided I could earn the privilege. He produced a push broom and said if I cleaned up the place I could sleep on a bench.
I don't remember how long the sweeping took, only that I did the best job I could then stretched out on a bench. When I awoke the next morning, there was a guy sleeping on every bench in the auditorium. I headed for the bus depot.
Roger Miller's "King Of The Road" had fared better... he at least got an eight by twelve four-bit room!
The other day I heard again Roger Miller's old recording "King Of The Road", wherein two hours of pushin' broom bought the guy a place to sleep. About the same time I heard mention of some event from 1945. My mind blended the two scraps of information and came up with a memory.
In April, 1945, I was 16 years old. Proving that a 16-year-old boy is near the top of the list of the most stupid of creatures, I loaded onto a Greyhound bus in Kansas City and headed for San Diego, CA.
My billfold was about as empty as my head. A friend, newly out of U.S. Navy boot camp and now stationed in San Diego had written me about the wonders of San Diego and the incredible employment opportunities there.
Arriving in San Diego, the first thing I learned was that in 1945 California, a 16-year-old youth had to attend high school. Forget about getting a job! In a few days I was almost out of cash and totally out of a place to live. Turns out my friend had an uncle in Azusa, CA who would pretend to be my guardian and help me get a job - if I came to Azusa.
I could take a bus the next morning... but where would I sleep tonight? I wandered into a YMCA and sat through some sort of religious service in an auditorium equipped with church-like benches. Today I have no recollection of what I watched there, my mind was hung up on the idea of going back onto the street when it ended.
When the service was over, everyone else filed out the door. I walked up to someone who appeared to be in charge and asked if I could lie down on the bench and spend the night. The person thought for a moment and decided I could earn the privilege. He produced a push broom and said if I cleaned up the place I could sleep on a bench.
I don't remember how long the sweeping took, only that I did the best job I could then stretched out on a bench. When I awoke the next morning, there was a guy sleeping on every bench in the auditorium. I headed for the bus depot.
Roger Miller's "King Of The Road" had fared better... he at least got an eight by twelve four-bit room!
Wednesday, June 08, 2011
U.S.P.S.
Further proof that the Federal government today does nothing very well. The U.S. Postal Service has been around since, when??? Ben Franklin's days? Is that not time enough to learn how?
Our town of Las Cruces, New Mexico (population 100,000) is only about 45 miles from El Paso, Texas. Now the U.S.P.S. is considering shutting down the mail sorting operation here in favor of doing all the sorting for our area in El Paso. The sorting facility in Las Cruces currently serves all of the zip code 880 sectional center, which is much of southern NM.
Okay, I am a strong advocate of the government saving money, but El Paso is in another state, and our postal service is already lousy. Will their service be worth keeping if they make that change?
We receive a lot of invoices from a number of vendors. Most have now switched to copying their invoices to a Adobe PDF and sending them by e-mail. Saves them postage - we receive their invoices immediately, in perfect condition, we can easily print all the copies we need and the PDFs are easy to store on a hard drive or on a CD.
Among our clients, one, who is not entirely up-to-date in computer usage, still wants our invoice in paper copies. We recently mailed our May invoice (which included many pages) to that client, in a U.S.P.S. Priority-mail envelope. He just phoned to report that he received the U.S.P.S. Priority Mail envelope from us... mangled and empty! Yes, we have copies, will reprint them and mail them again.
When we called the Post Office to complain, they shrugged... the contents of our mailing are just lost! If we wanted to recover our $4.75 postage, the client would have to contact the post office in his town, produce the empty Priority Mail envelope and file a claim. So advised, the client said to forget the refund.
So, thanks to the folks currently running our U.S.P.S., postal service is now lousy, and they want to reduce it even more. It would cost a little more to send our invoice to this client via Fedex, but it appears it would be worth it. The Federal government just manages to mess up everything it touches! Does anyone actually believe they will improve health care costs?
Further proof that the Federal government today does nothing very well. The U.S. Postal Service has been around since, when??? Ben Franklin's days? Is that not time enough to learn how?
Our town of Las Cruces, New Mexico (population 100,000) is only about 45 miles from El Paso, Texas. Now the U.S.P.S. is considering shutting down the mail sorting operation here in favor of doing all the sorting for our area in El Paso. The sorting facility in Las Cruces currently serves all of the zip code 880 sectional center, which is much of southern NM.
Okay, I am a strong advocate of the government saving money, but El Paso is in another state, and our postal service is already lousy. Will their service be worth keeping if they make that change?
We receive a lot of invoices from a number of vendors. Most have now switched to copying their invoices to a Adobe PDF and sending them by e-mail. Saves them postage - we receive their invoices immediately, in perfect condition, we can easily print all the copies we need and the PDFs are easy to store on a hard drive or on a CD.
Among our clients, one, who is not entirely up-to-date in computer usage, still wants our invoice in paper copies. We recently mailed our May invoice (which included many pages) to that client, in a U.S.P.S. Priority-mail envelope. He just phoned to report that he received the U.S.P.S. Priority Mail envelope from us... mangled and empty! Yes, we have copies, will reprint them and mail them again.
When we called the Post Office to complain, they shrugged... the contents of our mailing are just lost! If we wanted to recover our $4.75 postage, the client would have to contact the post office in his town, produce the empty Priority Mail envelope and file a claim. So advised, the client said to forget the refund.
So, thanks to the folks currently running our U.S.P.S., postal service is now lousy, and they want to reduce it even more. It would cost a little more to send our invoice to this client via Fedex, but it appears it would be worth it. The Federal government just manages to mess up everything it touches! Does anyone actually believe they will improve health care costs?
Tuesday, June 07, 2011
Congressman Weiner
should resign. On Fox news, June 6, columnist Juan Williams said Weiner should NOT resign... that his occupying a seat in congress is the business of voters in his district.
That would be fine, Juan, if Weiner's (or any Congressman's) decisions affected only the voters in his district. But that is not the case. A congressman represents those voters in his/her district. His votes, on the other hand, affect all Americans along with our children and grandchildren. Indeed, America herself and her allies may be affected.
Another columnist, Dr. Thomas Sowell, wrote yesterday:
"In the course of any given year, Congress votes on taxes, medical care, military spending, foreign aid, agriculture, labor, international trade, airlines, housing, insurance, courts, natural resources, and much more.
There are professionals who have spent their entire adult lives specializing in just one of these fields. The idea that Congress can be competent in all these areas simultaneously is staggering. Yet, far from pulling back-- as banks or other private enterprises must, if they don't want to be ruined financially by operating beyond the range of their competence-- Congress is constantly expanding further into more fields."
One may argue that while members of congress may lack competence in these fields, they hear from expert witnesses and serve as something like a jury to reach a reasonable conclusion of the facts.
But, would you accept a juror who is a deliberate, aggressive liar, as Weiner has admitted to being? Much less being some sort of narcissistic pervert?
Anthony Weiner is patently unfit to participate in any deliberation, the outcome of which is important to America, Americans or our allies. If he does not resign, he should be thrown out of office and prohibited from ever seeking political office again.
should resign. On Fox news, June 6, columnist Juan Williams said Weiner should NOT resign... that his occupying a seat in congress is the business of voters in his district.
That would be fine, Juan, if Weiner's (or any Congressman's) decisions affected only the voters in his district. But that is not the case. A congressman represents those voters in his/her district. His votes, on the other hand, affect all Americans along with our children and grandchildren. Indeed, America herself and her allies may be affected.
Another columnist, Dr. Thomas Sowell, wrote yesterday:
"In the course of any given year, Congress votes on taxes, medical care, military spending, foreign aid, agriculture, labor, international trade, airlines, housing, insurance, courts, natural resources, and much more.
There are professionals who have spent their entire adult lives specializing in just one of these fields. The idea that Congress can be competent in all these areas simultaneously is staggering. Yet, far from pulling back-- as banks or other private enterprises must, if they don't want to be ruined financially by operating beyond the range of their competence-- Congress is constantly expanding further into more fields."
One may argue that while members of congress may lack competence in these fields, they hear from expert witnesses and serve as something like a jury to reach a reasonable conclusion of the facts.
But, would you accept a juror who is a deliberate, aggressive liar, as Weiner has admitted to being? Much less being some sort of narcissistic pervert?
Anthony Weiner is patently unfit to participate in any deliberation, the outcome of which is important to America, Americans or our allies. If he does not resign, he should be thrown out of office and prohibited from ever seeking political office again.
Wednesday, June 01, 2011
The dressing down of America
Do you remember the 1944 hit song "The Trolley Song"? It was the story of a young woman who went out to ride the trolley for fun and found a new love.
She boarded the old street car in her "high starched collar and her high top shoes with her hair piled high upon her head." The young man, "in his light brown derby and his bright green tie was quite the handsomest of men".
I remember riding street cars and public transit buses as a youth when the vehicle and the passengers were clean and courteous. I remember when flight on an airliner was occasion for shirt and tie, and a sport coat, which you could fold neatly and lay in the overhead bin to keep it from becoming wrinkled during the trip.
Today, two or three other passeners would cram their backpacks on top of your jacket. The last time I rode a city bus in a big city, a disheveled drunk had vomited on the floor in front of his seat. And we all know of stories of passengers stabbed or beaten on public transit vehicles.
There was a time when ladies would not go out without their gloves. Today... well, you know what some wear.
What has happened? What has become of pride in personal appearance? What is the cause of such widespread slovenliness?
For some time I was very critical of rock music stars for their weird apparel and makeup - then I realized they had simply discovered a new way to make a living. But, are they setting the standards for appearance?
Does it begin in the home? As a small boy, I remember my mother grabbing me by the ear and dragging me back into the house if I headed out for school looking dirty or unkempt. Where are the mothers of boys who can best be described as unwashed slobs?
Are there no longer standards at school? I will always believe that one of the best tools in the hands of my early teachers was the paddle. Misbehave in any unreasonable way and you were marched to the cloak room where the teacher ordered you to grab your ankles while she swatted your bottom with the dreaded paddle.
Whatever the cause, I believe that a major problem with the use of public transit is the natural aversion to being seated next to a smelly, unpleasant person... something almost certain to happen if anyone else is riding!
Do you remember the 1944 hit song "The Trolley Song"? It was the story of a young woman who went out to ride the trolley for fun and found a new love.
She boarded the old street car in her "high starched collar and her high top shoes with her hair piled high upon her head." The young man, "in his light brown derby and his bright green tie was quite the handsomest of men".
I remember riding street cars and public transit buses as a youth when the vehicle and the passengers were clean and courteous. I remember when flight on an airliner was occasion for shirt and tie, and a sport coat, which you could fold neatly and lay in the overhead bin to keep it from becoming wrinkled during the trip.
Today, two or three other passeners would cram their backpacks on top of your jacket. The last time I rode a city bus in a big city, a disheveled drunk had vomited on the floor in front of his seat. And we all know of stories of passengers stabbed or beaten on public transit vehicles.
There was a time when ladies would not go out without their gloves. Today... well, you know what some wear.
What has happened? What has become of pride in personal appearance? What is the cause of such widespread slovenliness?
For some time I was very critical of rock music stars for their weird apparel and makeup - then I realized they had simply discovered a new way to make a living. But, are they setting the standards for appearance?
Does it begin in the home? As a small boy, I remember my mother grabbing me by the ear and dragging me back into the house if I headed out for school looking dirty or unkempt. Where are the mothers of boys who can best be described as unwashed slobs?
Are there no longer standards at school? I will always believe that one of the best tools in the hands of my early teachers was the paddle. Misbehave in any unreasonable way and you were marched to the cloak room where the teacher ordered you to grab your ankles while she swatted your bottom with the dreaded paddle.
Whatever the cause, I believe that a major problem with the use of public transit is the natural aversion to being seated next to a smelly, unpleasant person... something almost certain to happen if anyone else is riding!
Monday, May 30, 2011
Memories from my youth.
In he 1940s, and before, refrigerated air conditioning was rare. The compact, efficient compressors that provide A/C for cars and private homes, had not yet been developed. A/C was available only in theaters and some retail store. Certainly not in churches.
Thus, most every church provided hand-held fans you could wave in front of your face for a little relief. On hot summer nights, however, many congregations opted to hold their services outdoors. Many churches put up a large tent in a nearby vacant lot, spread the ground with sawdust, lined up folding chairs, and called it church.
In Kansas City, Kansas, where I lived, there were a number of churches with all black congregants. When they had their summer evening services outside, everyone off the street was welcome to walk in and join them, which I did several times.
One thing I found in common with all these groups: worship service was a time of joyous celebration. The service always began with a "song service", and it was wonderful. People singing at the top of their voices, "Isn't it grand to be a Christian", and meaning every word of it. I especially loved joining in as a congregation sang : "Won't you have a little talk with Jesus... "
When the service began, the Pastor was actually listened to, verified by a chorus of Amens from the congregation when he admonished them against the ways of the world. If there were not enough Amens, the pastor would repeat his admonition until he received the desired response.
Recently I attended a memorial service for a deceased friend. A formalized, scripted event with hymns recited in a wooden sort of way. I wished I could have brought in one of those old black pastors. He would have ended the spirit of gloom, assuring us that our departed friend was now in the loving arms of his Savior, for a joyous reunion with his long departed parents, grandparents and friends who have gone before. Then the chorus would sing and the congregation would join in a celebration of the life of our friend.
Is it a surprise that church attendance has waned? There is little joy left inside those sacred doors.
In he 1940s, and before, refrigerated air conditioning was rare. The compact, efficient compressors that provide A/C for cars and private homes, had not yet been developed. A/C was available only in theaters and some retail store. Certainly not in churches.
Thus, most every church provided hand-held fans you could wave in front of your face for a little relief. On hot summer nights, however, many congregations opted to hold their services outdoors. Many churches put up a large tent in a nearby vacant lot, spread the ground with sawdust, lined up folding chairs, and called it church.
In Kansas City, Kansas, where I lived, there were a number of churches with all black congregants. When they had their summer evening services outside, everyone off the street was welcome to walk in and join them, which I did several times.
One thing I found in common with all these groups: worship service was a time of joyous celebration. The service always began with a "song service", and it was wonderful. People singing at the top of their voices, "Isn't it grand to be a Christian", and meaning every word of it. I especially loved joining in as a congregation sang : "Won't you have a little talk with Jesus... "
When the service began, the Pastor was actually listened to, verified by a chorus of Amens from the congregation when he admonished them against the ways of the world. If there were not enough Amens, the pastor would repeat his admonition until he received the desired response.
Recently I attended a memorial service for a deceased friend. A formalized, scripted event with hymns recited in a wooden sort of way. I wished I could have brought in one of those old black pastors. He would have ended the spirit of gloom, assuring us that our departed friend was now in the loving arms of his Savior, for a joyous reunion with his long departed parents, grandparents and friends who have gone before. Then the chorus would sing and the congregation would join in a celebration of the life of our friend.
Is it a surprise that church attendance has waned? There is little joy left inside those sacred doors.
Saturday, May 28, 2011
Brain Power
The human brain is the most incredible thing in all of the universe. How can this lump of meat accomplish things no computer can equal? As with Donald Rumsfeld's reference to "things we don't know we don't know", it would take more education than most of us will ever acquire to even comprehend what the human brain can do.
Still, I find it curiously interesting that the wonderful brain can sometimes be easily tripped up. The rising or setting moon appears much larger than the moon seen high in the sky overhead. The answer, I am told, is reference. At moonrise or moonset, we can compare the apparent size of the moon to terrestrial objects, which makes it look larger.
Reference. Our brains seem incapable of comprehending things far outside the range of familiarity. Empty space in the universe is infinite. It has no boundaries. Incomprehensible. To our wondrous brain, everything has boundaries.
The speed of light. 186,000 miles per second. Incomprehensible. We can't even comprehend the speed of a jet aircraft. Recent reports tell of tornadoes with wind speeds of 200 miles per hour snapping large trees like matchsticks. Imagine sticking your head out the window of a plane moving at 500 miles per hour. It might be snapped off like those tree trunks.
But at 35,000 feet we have no reference for gauging terrestrial speed. If we were flying close to the ground, watching fields and towns swish by at the rate of about 2 1/2 football fields per second, we would not calmly consider our choice from the flight attendant's beverage cart... we would be clutching the seat in front of us in white-knuckle panic!
At my advancing age, I have discovered another incident of brain shortcoming - again related to reference. Once we reach the age of about two years, standing upright requires no thought, no conscious effort. The brain sends just the right signal to each of those many muscles in our feet, legs, thighs and back that keep our bodies erect... even on a surfboard or on skis (once we get the hang of using those devices!).
But now, after decades of practice, my brain at times can no longer figure out which way is up - can't decide what signals to send to which muscles, until I give it a reference point. Standing in the shower with a head full of shampoo and eyes closed, I must touch the shower wall and determine which way is up, or all those muscles will just go limp and I will fall.
I laugh to myself when I imagine being given a roadside sobriety test by a police officer. Asked to walk a straight line, placing one foot in front of the other helps to indicate if you are impaired. I can no longer do that when stone cold sober.
In fact, I cannot walk any straight line - I just tend to stagger to one side or the other. I know, a cane will largely solve that problem. Reference! But, walk with a cane? Like some old man? I suppose I will have to fall a couple of times before I accept that inevitability!
The human brain is the most incredible thing in all of the universe. How can this lump of meat accomplish things no computer can equal? As with Donald Rumsfeld's reference to "things we don't know we don't know", it would take more education than most of us will ever acquire to even comprehend what the human brain can do.
Still, I find it curiously interesting that the wonderful brain can sometimes be easily tripped up. The rising or setting moon appears much larger than the moon seen high in the sky overhead. The answer, I am told, is reference. At moonrise or moonset, we can compare the apparent size of the moon to terrestrial objects, which makes it look larger.
Reference. Our brains seem incapable of comprehending things far outside the range of familiarity. Empty space in the universe is infinite. It has no boundaries. Incomprehensible. To our wondrous brain, everything has boundaries.
The speed of light. 186,000 miles per second. Incomprehensible. We can't even comprehend the speed of a jet aircraft. Recent reports tell of tornadoes with wind speeds of 200 miles per hour snapping large trees like matchsticks. Imagine sticking your head out the window of a plane moving at 500 miles per hour. It might be snapped off like those tree trunks.
But at 35,000 feet we have no reference for gauging terrestrial speed. If we were flying close to the ground, watching fields and towns swish by at the rate of about 2 1/2 football fields per second, we would not calmly consider our choice from the flight attendant's beverage cart... we would be clutching the seat in front of us in white-knuckle panic!
At my advancing age, I have discovered another incident of brain shortcoming - again related to reference. Once we reach the age of about two years, standing upright requires no thought, no conscious effort. The brain sends just the right signal to each of those many muscles in our feet, legs, thighs and back that keep our bodies erect... even on a surfboard or on skis (once we get the hang of using those devices!).
But now, after decades of practice, my brain at times can no longer figure out which way is up - can't decide what signals to send to which muscles, until I give it a reference point. Standing in the shower with a head full of shampoo and eyes closed, I must touch the shower wall and determine which way is up, or all those muscles will just go limp and I will fall.
I laugh to myself when I imagine being given a roadside sobriety test by a police officer. Asked to walk a straight line, placing one foot in front of the other helps to indicate if you are impaired. I can no longer do that when stone cold sober.
In fact, I cannot walk any straight line - I just tend to stagger to one side or the other. I know, a cane will largely solve that problem. Reference! But, walk with a cane? Like some old man? I suppose I will have to fall a couple of times before I accept that inevitability!
Friday, May 27, 2011
Angie's List
Most Americans believe in equal justice under the law. Or do they? Consider Angie's List.
Angie's list TV advertising shows one painter, employed by a painting contractor, performing badly. The ad advises not to call these guys! Hey... do we get to hear the painting contractor's side of the story?
Another ad shows a plumber staying on the job after his work is done so he could walk the customer's dog. "The only plumber I'll ever call", asserts the ad copy. What are they saying? That a plumber should donate his valuable time to accommodate a customer too irresponsible to care for their pet? Should we not even consider the dog-walking plumber's ability as a plumber?
If I understand Angie's List, we are supposed to accept the "verdict" of one satisfied or dissatisfied customer without ever knowing the credibility of that customer.
I have spent decades working with dozens of remodeling contractors, plumbers, painters, roofers, etc. across the country. In those years I have met one or two remodelers whom I believed were capable of being dishonest if it suited their purpose. I have met a few who were incompetent in one way or another. Most frequently it was a failure in communications that led to a misunderstanding. The vast, vast majority were both honest and capable.
In those same years I have seen many, many customers of remodelers who were flat out dishonest and were hell bent on cheating and scamming the remodeling contractor. I have seen customers complain that the work done was not satisfactory while steadfastly refusing to let the contractor fix the problem. I've seen these cases go to court, only to have a judge side with the dishonest customer and punish the contractor.
The Better Business Bureau franchisees, like Angie's list a private enterprise, does it a bit differently. If a customer complains, the BBB office calls the contractor and attempts to resolve the complaint. The BBB files then retain the results of that effort. Call for a reference and they will give you the full details of any unresolved complaints.
My opinion is that Angie's list is neither fair nor just.
Before accepting the finding of Angie's List, I hope you will favor justice and insist upon hearing the full story.
Most Americans believe in equal justice under the law. Or do they? Consider Angie's List.
Angie's list TV advertising shows one painter, employed by a painting contractor, performing badly. The ad advises not to call these guys! Hey... do we get to hear the painting contractor's side of the story?
Another ad shows a plumber staying on the job after his work is done so he could walk the customer's dog. "The only plumber I'll ever call", asserts the ad copy. What are they saying? That a plumber should donate his valuable time to accommodate a customer too irresponsible to care for their pet? Should we not even consider the dog-walking plumber's ability as a plumber?
If I understand Angie's List, we are supposed to accept the "verdict" of one satisfied or dissatisfied customer without ever knowing the credibility of that customer.
I have spent decades working with dozens of remodeling contractors, plumbers, painters, roofers, etc. across the country. In those years I have met one or two remodelers whom I believed were capable of being dishonest if it suited their purpose. I have met a few who were incompetent in one way or another. Most frequently it was a failure in communications that led to a misunderstanding. The vast, vast majority were both honest and capable.
In those same years I have seen many, many customers of remodelers who were flat out dishonest and were hell bent on cheating and scamming the remodeling contractor. I have seen customers complain that the work done was not satisfactory while steadfastly refusing to let the contractor fix the problem. I've seen these cases go to court, only to have a judge side with the dishonest customer and punish the contractor.
The Better Business Bureau franchisees, like Angie's list a private enterprise, does it a bit differently. If a customer complains, the BBB office calls the contractor and attempts to resolve the complaint. The BBB files then retain the results of that effort. Call for a reference and they will give you the full details of any unresolved complaints.
My opinion is that Angie's list is neither fair nor just.
Before accepting the finding of Angie's List, I hope you will favor justice and insist upon hearing the full story.
Sunday, May 22, 2011
Does Time Really Fly?
Or does it only crawl?
If you are looking ahead, time seems to stand still. Looking back? Whew! It flies!
Consider presidential politics. A child of the depression, I remember my father's disappointment when Roosevelt was re-elected in 1936. His disbelief when Roosevelt was again re-elected in 1940. His dejection when Roosevelt won again in 1944! Was this man going to be president forever? It seemed that way. At the time, The American Tobacco Company's Lucky Strike brand was the biggest selling cigarette in the world. Their marketing slogan was Lucky Strike Means Fine Tobacco, and they emblazoned every advertising endeavor with LS/MFT! Some smart mouth started saying "Let's Start Mentioning Fifth Term". But, natural forces intervened and FDR died early in his fourth term.
In November, 1948, just about everyone thought the long Democrat hold on the White House would end, but it didn't turn out that way. Harry Truman, who had inherited the presidency upon Roosevelt's death, was re-elected.
Then came 1952! Boy, did I like Ike... as did a majority of Americans! When Dwight Eisenhower took office, we thought we were in secure possession of 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, but Ike's eight years passed in a blink.
And, so it went. Some say Kennedy stole the 1960 election, but Nixon didn't want to be seen as a sore loser and quietly stepped aside. Upon JFK's tragic assassination, Lyndon Johnson became president. Everyone sort of felt sorry for LBJ and so gave him his own term in 1964. Then, the Viet Nam war exploded.
Nixon came back and won big in 1968, then again in a landslide in 1972. Some of Nixon's campaign staff foolishly tried to plant a listening device in Democrat National Headquarters and were caught in the act. The press relentlessly pushed the issue until Nixon was forced to resign and a former Congressman named Gerald Ford became president. Because the media hated Nixon, they demonized Ford and we got Carter in 1976. Oh, my!
Carter's four years were just a blink, then came Reagan. Again, we said "Finally"! Double blink and Bush One won in 1988. Then, flash... it was Clinton; blink: Bush Two; blink: Obama.
Be it in 2012 or 2016, Obama, too, will be replaced and we will exhilarate or agonize over the new president. But, don't get too exercised over the winner. Before you know it, they, too, will go the way of all earlier presidents... into the history books.
Flying or crawling... time marches on.
Or does it only crawl?
If you are looking ahead, time seems to stand still. Looking back? Whew! It flies!
Consider presidential politics. A child of the depression, I remember my father's disappointment when Roosevelt was re-elected in 1936. His disbelief when Roosevelt was again re-elected in 1940. His dejection when Roosevelt won again in 1944! Was this man going to be president forever? It seemed that way. At the time, The American Tobacco Company's Lucky Strike brand was the biggest selling cigarette in the world. Their marketing slogan was Lucky Strike Means Fine Tobacco, and they emblazoned every advertising endeavor with LS/MFT! Some smart mouth started saying "Let's Start Mentioning Fifth Term". But, natural forces intervened and FDR died early in his fourth term.
In November, 1948, just about everyone thought the long Democrat hold on the White House would end, but it didn't turn out that way. Harry Truman, who had inherited the presidency upon Roosevelt's death, was re-elected.
Then came 1952! Boy, did I like Ike... as did a majority of Americans! When Dwight Eisenhower took office, we thought we were in secure possession of 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, but Ike's eight years passed in a blink.
And, so it went. Some say Kennedy stole the 1960 election, but Nixon didn't want to be seen as a sore loser and quietly stepped aside. Upon JFK's tragic assassination, Lyndon Johnson became president. Everyone sort of felt sorry for LBJ and so gave him his own term in 1964. Then, the Viet Nam war exploded.
Nixon came back and won big in 1968, then again in a landslide in 1972. Some of Nixon's campaign staff foolishly tried to plant a listening device in Democrat National Headquarters and were caught in the act. The press relentlessly pushed the issue until Nixon was forced to resign and a former Congressman named Gerald Ford became president. Because the media hated Nixon, they demonized Ford and we got Carter in 1976. Oh, my!
Carter's four years were just a blink, then came Reagan. Again, we said "Finally"! Double blink and Bush One won in 1988. Then, flash... it was Clinton; blink: Bush Two; blink: Obama.
Be it in 2012 or 2016, Obama, too, will be replaced and we will exhilarate or agonize over the new president. But, don't get too exercised over the winner. Before you know it, they, too, will go the way of all earlier presidents... into the history books.
Flying or crawling... time marches on.
Saturday, May 21, 2011
What's gold worth?
I don't think anyone knows!
In the U.S., they may say, about 1500 Dollars per ounce. In Europe, 360 Euros an ounce; In Japan, 123,000 Yen; In the U.K., 930 Pounds Sterling.
But actually that is only saying what their currency is worth. Currencies fluctuate in value. Gold, not so much.
Gold is a precious metal, hard to find, useful for many things. You could set its value by the amount of effort it takes to get it out of the ground and refine it to a standard of purity. Or, you may just say what a one-time mentor told me about the value of a piece of real estate: It is worth what one man is willing to pay for it.
But. gold is not real estate. A building lot in Boston is priced differently than is the same size lot in Beaumont, TX. An ounce of 24 carat gold is the same the world over. It is the standard of value. Instead of saying an ounce of gold is worth $1500, we should say one dollar is worth 1/1500 of an ounce of gold. In a year from now, the dollar may be worth 1/2000, or 1/1000. That will depend on the action of the government.
You can make a ring out of a piece of gold. A dollar bill can be traded for some amount of some commodity, but has no value in itself. Currencies are a representation of value. Gold has actual value. Like the current flock of TV commercials say... gold has never been worth zero!
I don't think anyone knows!
In the U.S., they may say, about 1500 Dollars per ounce. In Europe, 360 Euros an ounce; In Japan, 123,000 Yen; In the U.K., 930 Pounds Sterling.
But actually that is only saying what their currency is worth. Currencies fluctuate in value. Gold, not so much.
Gold is a precious metal, hard to find, useful for many things. You could set its value by the amount of effort it takes to get it out of the ground and refine it to a standard of purity. Or, you may just say what a one-time mentor told me about the value of a piece of real estate: It is worth what one man is willing to pay for it.
But. gold is not real estate. A building lot in Boston is priced differently than is the same size lot in Beaumont, TX. An ounce of 24 carat gold is the same the world over. It is the standard of value. Instead of saying an ounce of gold is worth $1500, we should say one dollar is worth 1/1500 of an ounce of gold. In a year from now, the dollar may be worth 1/2000, or 1/1000. That will depend on the action of the government.
You can make a ring out of a piece of gold. A dollar bill can be traded for some amount of some commodity, but has no value in itself. Currencies are a representation of value. Gold has actual value. Like the current flock of TV commercials say... gold has never been worth zero!
Sunday, May 15, 2011
Hell phones...
I walked into a public restroom and immediately heard a man's voice, loud and animated. But there was no one else in the room. That puzzled me until I realized some guy was sitting on one of the johns, door closed, having a conversation on his cell phone! Please! Is there no situation in human behavior that can take priority to a telephone conversation? If the guy's friend were there with him, would he have him stand inside the stall so their conversation could continue uninterrupted?
Standing on the sidewalk a woman walked close to me and started talking. Not understanding the relevance of what she said, I responded, "I beg your pardon." There was no response from her... then I realized she had one of those cell phones attached to the side of her head. It was covered by her hair, almost invisible. How do they dial a number on those things?
I was in an examining room at the doctor's office, explaining something or other to the doctor. He suddenly stood up, removed his (apparently vibrating) cell phone from his pocket, and left the room, talking to some unseen caller. Had that call been to an old-fashioned wired phone, a receptionist would have answered, explained that the doctor was with a patient and taken a message.
I hate cell phones. Some years ago I signed up for cell phones for my wife and I, realizing the advantage of instant communication from wherever we may be. But when we were far out on the desert or in a mountain forest where emergency communication could be lifesaving, my cell had no service.
Due to impaired hearing, when I did receive a call I had trouble understanding the caller. Then I started receiving text messages relative to my horoscope (pure nonsense in my opinion), which I had to pay for! I called the cell provider and arranged to ban text messages to my number.
Finally I realized I was neither sending or receiving calls with my cell phone, so I was paying a monthly fee for the privilege of remembering to keep the thing's battery charged! I cancelled my service.
Enough of my stories of rude cell phone behavior - you can fill in your own experiences!
I believe cell phones are the worst piece of technology ever invented. I hope I live long enough to see the day when everyone agrees and the use of cell phones in public goes the way of CB radio. Can I hear a 10-4, good buddy?
I walked into a public restroom and immediately heard a man's voice, loud and animated. But there was no one else in the room. That puzzled me until I realized some guy was sitting on one of the johns, door closed, having a conversation on his cell phone! Please! Is there no situation in human behavior that can take priority to a telephone conversation? If the guy's friend were there with him, would he have him stand inside the stall so their conversation could continue uninterrupted?
Standing on the sidewalk a woman walked close to me and started talking. Not understanding the relevance of what she said, I responded, "I beg your pardon." There was no response from her... then I realized she had one of those cell phones attached to the side of her head. It was covered by her hair, almost invisible. How do they dial a number on those things?
I was in an examining room at the doctor's office, explaining something or other to the doctor. He suddenly stood up, removed his (apparently vibrating) cell phone from his pocket, and left the room, talking to some unseen caller. Had that call been to an old-fashioned wired phone, a receptionist would have answered, explained that the doctor was with a patient and taken a message.
I hate cell phones. Some years ago I signed up for cell phones for my wife and I, realizing the advantage of instant communication from wherever we may be. But when we were far out on the desert or in a mountain forest where emergency communication could be lifesaving, my cell had no service.
Due to impaired hearing, when I did receive a call I had trouble understanding the caller. Then I started receiving text messages relative to my horoscope (pure nonsense in my opinion), which I had to pay for! I called the cell provider and arranged to ban text messages to my number.
Finally I realized I was neither sending or receiving calls with my cell phone, so I was paying a monthly fee for the privilege of remembering to keep the thing's battery charged! I cancelled my service.
Enough of my stories of rude cell phone behavior - you can fill in your own experiences!
I believe cell phones are the worst piece of technology ever invented. I hope I live long enough to see the day when everyone agrees and the use of cell phones in public goes the way of CB radio. Can I hear a 10-4, good buddy?
Tuesday, May 10, 2011
Most overrated thing in America
For some time, I have wanted to express my opinion that a college degree - especially a degree from a liberal arts institution - is the most overrated thing in our society.
But today, Dr. Thomas Sowell expressed the truth of the subject better than an opinion formed from my limited experience could hope to match.
Check his column here. Or, here.
Any family with a high school graduate thinking of entering college next year, should read and heed what Dr. Sowell has to say.
Not only the United States, but the world is awash with educated but unskilled young people. As Dr. Sowell so clearly articulates, these people sometimes do more harm then good.
Sadly, however, the world still uses the college degree as positive proof of ability. Nothing could be more foolish. Early in my career, I was passed over for a couple of jobs which I could have done well. I had excellent, well placed references but I lacked the requisite degree and was dropped from consideration. As an employer in broadcasting and in advertising for many years, I hired young people who held degrees in Journalism, only to discover they had zero qualifications for the job.
Neither I, nor Dr. Sowell, disregard an education in the sciences. Or graduate degrees. Still, it would do well to repeat the old riddle: "What do you call the guy who graduated last in his class at medical school?" Answer: "Doctor."
For some time, I have wanted to express my opinion that a college degree - especially a degree from a liberal arts institution - is the most overrated thing in our society.
But today, Dr. Thomas Sowell expressed the truth of the subject better than an opinion formed from my limited experience could hope to match.
Check his column here. Or, here.
Any family with a high school graduate thinking of entering college next year, should read and heed what Dr. Sowell has to say.
Not only the United States, but the world is awash with educated but unskilled young people. As Dr. Sowell so clearly articulates, these people sometimes do more harm then good.
Sadly, however, the world still uses the college degree as positive proof of ability. Nothing could be more foolish. Early in my career, I was passed over for a couple of jobs which I could have done well. I had excellent, well placed references but I lacked the requisite degree and was dropped from consideration. As an employer in broadcasting and in advertising for many years, I hired young people who held degrees in Journalism, only to discover they had zero qualifications for the job.
Neither I, nor Dr. Sowell, disregard an education in the sciences. Or graduate degrees. Still, it would do well to repeat the old riddle: "What do you call the guy who graduated last in his class at medical school?" Answer: "Doctor."
Friday, May 06, 2011
The First Debate
I do not mean the Nixon-Kennedy debacle a half century ago. I mean the one that happened on May5, 2011... missed by many who were celebrating the pretend-Mexican holiday Cinco de Mayo.
The Nixon-Kennedy event was won by the make-up artists, or the studio lighting technicians, or some combination thereof.
In those early days of TV, not many realized that a person looked a lot different on the black & white TV screen than they did in the studio. And, in those primitive times, no men wore long hair, few wore earrings and fewer still would wear makeup. Nixon declined makeup and the old kinescope emphasized dark circles under his eyes, making him look ghoul-like.
Is there much difference in the way presidential debate winners are chosen today?
Understanding that TV people are interested only in audience ratings makes it a little easier to understand why they call these sideshows a "debate". They are a question and answer session intended primarily to try to trip someone up and hope they will say something stupid - or, by accident, brilliant. That, my friends, produces sound bytes to last through election day - and which can be revived for years in election campaigns to come.
Think, for a moment, how helpful it would be if first, the host would engage each of the candidates in a little pleasant conversation to help them relax. Having spent 25 years in broadcasting, I can assure you that a broadcaster becomes very comfortable in his job. A political candidate, knowing that one mis-statement could crash his campaign, is anything but comfortable. To march the candidates out in front of a large studio audience and make them stand there, at attention, until you hit them with a question, on a subject that may well be the last thing on their mind, is unlikely to produce anything meaningful. (Like asking former New Mexico Governor Gary Johnson what he would call his TV show - if he ever had a TV show!)
When everyone has had a chance to relax, the host addresses the first candidate: "Candidate one... lately the news media has described you as (whatever is being said). Can you speak to that charge?
Candidate One: Speaks to the subject. (Long enough to clarify his position.)
Host, to other candidates: "Candidate Two, do you have a response to that?"
And, down the line, each candidate has an opportunity to debate what Candidate One has said.
Then the host addresses the next candidate, asking him/her to speak to whatever is being said of them. Following, each remaining candidate is permitted to challenge.
They could then discuss current events or other topics of general interest, with the host simply introducing the topic - not asking specific questions.
We are not hoping to elect the next TV pundit or commentator. We want to elect a chief executive who will keep informed on current events and make thoughtful decisions. How do we benefit from the current format they are calling a debate?
I personally believe the American news media is obstructing the presidential election process. They stage these phony events and if a candidate fails to participate or dares to be critical, he has to wonder if the news people will then disparage everything he says in the remainder of the campaign.
And remember, I am not a media-basher. My career was broadcasting.
I do not mean the Nixon-Kennedy debacle a half century ago. I mean the one that happened on May5, 2011... missed by many who were celebrating the pretend-Mexican holiday Cinco de Mayo.
The Nixon-Kennedy event was won by the make-up artists, or the studio lighting technicians, or some combination thereof.
In those early days of TV, not many realized that a person looked a lot different on the black & white TV screen than they did in the studio. And, in those primitive times, no men wore long hair, few wore earrings and fewer still would wear makeup. Nixon declined makeup and the old kinescope emphasized dark circles under his eyes, making him look ghoul-like.
Is there much difference in the way presidential debate winners are chosen today?
Understanding that TV people are interested only in audience ratings makes it a little easier to understand why they call these sideshows a "debate". They are a question and answer session intended primarily to try to trip someone up and hope they will say something stupid - or, by accident, brilliant. That, my friends, produces sound bytes to last through election day - and which can be revived for years in election campaigns to come.
Think, for a moment, how helpful it would be if first, the host would engage each of the candidates in a little pleasant conversation to help them relax. Having spent 25 years in broadcasting, I can assure you that a broadcaster becomes very comfortable in his job. A political candidate, knowing that one mis-statement could crash his campaign, is anything but comfortable. To march the candidates out in front of a large studio audience and make them stand there, at attention, until you hit them with a question, on a subject that may well be the last thing on their mind, is unlikely to produce anything meaningful. (Like asking former New Mexico Governor Gary Johnson what he would call his TV show - if he ever had a TV show!)
When everyone has had a chance to relax, the host addresses the first candidate: "Candidate one... lately the news media has described you as (whatever is being said). Can you speak to that charge?
Candidate One: Speaks to the subject. (Long enough to clarify his position.)
Host, to other candidates: "Candidate Two, do you have a response to that?"
And, down the line, each candidate has an opportunity to debate what Candidate One has said.
Then the host addresses the next candidate, asking him/her to speak to whatever is being said of them. Following, each remaining candidate is permitted to challenge.
They could then discuss current events or other topics of general interest, with the host simply introducing the topic - not asking specific questions.
We are not hoping to elect the next TV pundit or commentator. We want to elect a chief executive who will keep informed on current events and make thoughtful decisions. How do we benefit from the current format they are calling a debate?
I personally believe the American news media is obstructing the presidential election process. They stage these phony events and if a candidate fails to participate or dares to be critical, he has to wonder if the news people will then disparage everything he says in the remainder of the campaign.
And remember, I am not a media-basher. My career was broadcasting.
Sunday, May 01, 2011
The Wrong Message
from Michelle Obama and other food Nazis!
Demonizing fast food and other menu items is as wrong as it is foolish and ineffective. I had a friend who operated a chain of roast beef sandwich shops. He once laughed when he heard a TV commercial demonizing the hamburger and urging people to "think outside the bun." The hamburger has frequently shown to be America's favorite sandwich. He questioned what can be gained by attacking the favorite? Resentment from all who hear?
That is the ineffective part. The wrong part of demonizing fast food is that it serves no useful purpose. There is nothing inherently unhealthy about beef, buns, lettuce, pickle or mustard. Or even French Fries. The problem is overeating!
So, the food Nazis attack restaurants for oversizing portions! Wrong again. What is wrong with giving customers more for their money? Just don't eat it all!
My wife and I go into a burger place, order one hamburger and one order of fries. We split both the burger and the fries. We satisfy our hunger and neither are overweight.
There are only two correct rules for diet. First, learn to enjoy all kinds of foods. The more variety in your diet, the healthier your diet. Second, eat to satisfy your stomach... not your palate! Sure, I could eat a quart of ice cream at one sitting. My palate would love it. The rest of my body would not. And the surprising part is that once you form the habit of eating for your stomach, your palate learns to go along and is satisfied with the smaller portions. Let your brain, not your taste buds, tell you how much to eat
I believe that menu variety must be taught early. Parents of small children should learn from depression-era parents who, constricted by poverty, served the family no wide choice of menu items. They served what they had - what they could afford - and the choices were "take it or leave it". Hunger taught the children to "take it", and they learned to enjoy all those different things mom cooked.
There was an old song that sang of "cornbread and buttermilk and good old turnip greens." Yes, that was the menu at many a dinner I enjoyed as a kid on the farm. Especially if the turnip greens were cooked with a little piece of ham hock, or even salt pork.
Two things parents should know. Tastes do differ and some children will never learn to like certain foods, no matter how much you like those foods. Encourage them. Do not force. And, remember that children are easily influenced by the comments of others. I once sat down to Thanksgiving dinner with a large family group. Several kinds of salad dressing were placed on the table. The container of blue cheese dressing was almost empty and I wanted it. So did a couple of small boys who wanted it because there was so little. I reasoned that they had probably never eaten blue cheese and had no idea how it tasted, but I encouraged them to take it... It's good, I informed, made with sour goat's milk! That's all it took. They wouldn't touch it.
Serve your children a variety of food and talk about how good it all tastes. Control portions. Don't serve their food in such a way that they can fill their stomachs with mashed potatoes and never touch the vegetables or meat.
As an adult, ignore Michelle and the other food Nazis. Eat whatever you like. Remember your last meal and have something different for the next. Not had a salad today? Be sure to have one for dinner. During hard times, we used to say "Take all you want - eat all you take." Learn to say "Take anything you like - eat less of everything."
from Michelle Obama and other food Nazis!
Demonizing fast food and other menu items is as wrong as it is foolish and ineffective. I had a friend who operated a chain of roast beef sandwich shops. He once laughed when he heard a TV commercial demonizing the hamburger and urging people to "think outside the bun." The hamburger has frequently shown to be America's favorite sandwich. He questioned what can be gained by attacking the favorite? Resentment from all who hear?
That is the ineffective part. The wrong part of demonizing fast food is that it serves no useful purpose. There is nothing inherently unhealthy about beef, buns, lettuce, pickle or mustard. Or even French Fries. The problem is overeating!
So, the food Nazis attack restaurants for oversizing portions! Wrong again. What is wrong with giving customers more for their money? Just don't eat it all!
My wife and I go into a burger place, order one hamburger and one order of fries. We split both the burger and the fries. We satisfy our hunger and neither are overweight.
There are only two correct rules for diet. First, learn to enjoy all kinds of foods. The more variety in your diet, the healthier your diet. Second, eat to satisfy your stomach... not your palate! Sure, I could eat a quart of ice cream at one sitting. My palate would love it. The rest of my body would not. And the surprising part is that once you form the habit of eating for your stomach, your palate learns to go along and is satisfied with the smaller portions. Let your brain, not your taste buds, tell you how much to eat
I believe that menu variety must be taught early. Parents of small children should learn from depression-era parents who, constricted by poverty, served the family no wide choice of menu items. They served what they had - what they could afford - and the choices were "take it or leave it". Hunger taught the children to "take it", and they learned to enjoy all those different things mom cooked.
There was an old song that sang of "cornbread and buttermilk and good old turnip greens." Yes, that was the menu at many a dinner I enjoyed as a kid on the farm. Especially if the turnip greens were cooked with a little piece of ham hock, or even salt pork.
Two things parents should know. Tastes do differ and some children will never learn to like certain foods, no matter how much you like those foods. Encourage them. Do not force. And, remember that children are easily influenced by the comments of others. I once sat down to Thanksgiving dinner with a large family group. Several kinds of salad dressing were placed on the table. The container of blue cheese dressing was almost empty and I wanted it. So did a couple of small boys who wanted it because there was so little. I reasoned that they had probably never eaten blue cheese and had no idea how it tasted, but I encouraged them to take it... It's good, I informed, made with sour goat's milk! That's all it took. They wouldn't touch it.
Serve your children a variety of food and talk about how good it all tastes. Control portions. Don't serve their food in such a way that they can fill their stomachs with mashed potatoes and never touch the vegetables or meat.
As an adult, ignore Michelle and the other food Nazis. Eat whatever you like. Remember your last meal and have something different for the next. Not had a salad today? Be sure to have one for dinner. During hard times, we used to say "Take all you want - eat all you take." Learn to say "Take anything you like - eat less of everything."
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)