Nobody – Sheer Brilliance.

Nobody – Sheer Brilliance.
October 22, 2007

Nobody Asked Me But:

I do not wish to seem conceited, but I’m the guy who told you two weeks ago that the Cleveland and Philadelphia would be squaring off in the World Series.

Feel free to ask me for tips on any subject.

Nobody 716

Sunday, October 21, 2007
Nobody # 716

Nobody Asked Me But:

“Again, no skin off of my nose but needless crap.” Hugh Edwards.

If one looks in Webster’s for a definition of “needless crap” you will find the following:

“Busy work assigned to teachers by administrators and politicians, none of whom know anything about the classroom.”<<<

MY TRIP TO RENO – PEOPLE, PLACES AND THINGS.

PEOPLE

Greg: My son is happy in Reno and happy in love. It is sad that he will probably be forced back to Tucson by an idiot judge who thinks that a child-abusing mother who pays no child support deserves to have regular visits with her son.

Benjamin: My grandson is doing great in his Reno environment. He is now in the first grade and very smart. (Not just a grandfather’s bias – and why is it that all my grandchildren are bright and beautiful?) One of the highlights of my trip was buying him his first Cub Scout uniform.

Marie: Greg’s current, and hopefully long-term, love is a delightful woman – friendly, honest and outspoken. You always know where you stand with her and Greg and Ben stand very well. Me too.

Terry McAuliffe: What is Hillary’s campaign chairman doing here? Greg was invited to a small living-room gathering where McAuliffe was the guest of honor. I went along. TM, who also chaired Bill’s campaign in 1992 and later served as the Democratic National chairman, was impressive. He is friendly (seemingly beyond the requirements of his position) and interesting.

In his opinion, both party nominations will be sewed up the day after Super Tuesday, February 5th. I asked him about the long dead period this will produce between that day and the conventions, and he acknowledged it as a problem for both parties. He agreed that the campaign primaries and therefore the campaigns are way too early but blamed the competition between the states to be “first,” which created a situation within which the candidates are trapped.

PLACES

I really liked Reno. There are neat old houses like those found in small Eastern towns and cool new ones, hopefully not all built with gambling money. The hotels/casinos are as unobtrusive as such establishments can be. In the middle of town, there is a wonderful river walk along the Truckee River. The campus of the University of Nevada is a nice mixture of traditional and modern. And, finally, a 30-minute drive has you in pine-covered mountains.

THINGS

On Saturday we drove to Carson City (about 25 minutes) and I added Starbuck’s number 335.<<<

Add-on - McAuliffe He also said that now when he plays golf with his friend Bill he can often win, because Clinton can no longer invoke his presidential right to cheat. It used to be when President Bill teed off, there were dozens of Secret Service people all over the course. When he hit a tee shot into the woods, the ball would magically reappear on the fairway.

And, did you know that the main purpose for having Secret Service people guarding ex-presidents is to prevent kidnapping?<<<<<<

HILLARY

Here’s an amazing statistic: 68% of black women voters favor Hillary as opposed to 25% supporting Obama?

BY THEIR WORDS YE SHALL JUDGE THEM

The Far Right on the world’s newest crisis - Hillary’s laugh:

Sean Hannity – It’s “frightening.”

Bill O’Reilly trotted out a Fox News “body-language expert” to pronounce the laughter “evil.”

Dick Morris - It’s “loud, inappropriate, and mirthless.”

Other right-wing blogs - “Shrillary’s” laugh is “chilling.” It’s “fakey fake fake fake.” It’s a “hideous hyena mating call.” It’s “a signal to launch her flying monkeys.”<<<

Headline: Suspect arrested in 3-year-old girl's videotaped sexual assault.

Comment: Too bad that during the arrest they didn’t “accidentally” shoot off his body part “whose name we may not use.” Let’s hope his next step is a prison date with criminals who do not take kindly to child rapists.<<<

A leash law for cats:

Why not? Why should we have to clean up cat crap all over our back patio?<<<

“Gone, Baby, Gone” is the first must see movie of 2007. I will say no more.<<<

Mark Heisler on the latest Laker melodrama:

“This isn't about whether Buss or Bryant was hurt first. They're not dating.”<<<

"In any country, if you don’t have countervailing institutions, the power of any one president is problematic for democratic development,” - Condoleezza Rice.

There is more than a bit of hypocrisy in this comment about Russia considering the way her boss has ignored the Constitutional balance of power.<<<

While on the subject of our Constitution, Larry Sabato, writing in the October 10 NY Times suggested we need a new one. I wouldn’t go that far, but we do need some changes.

As he wrote, and I think he is right, the founders “would be amazed and disappointed that after 220 years, the inheritors of their Constitution had not tried to adapt to new developments that the founders could never have anticipated in Philadelphia in 1787.”

Here are my thoughts on his suggestions and, after that, a few suggestions of my own.

SABATO Restoring the balance of power – War-making power:

"The Constitution gives Congress the exclusive power to declare war, but several presidents, including our current one have ignored this by using their power as commander and chief to make war on their own. Here’s Sabato’s suggested change: The president should have the freedom to commit troops for up to six months, under procedures similar to that of the War Powers Resolution of 1973. But a new constitutional amendment should require that after six months -- and every six months thereafter -- both houses of Congress, by affirmative vote and without filibusters, would have to approve any extension. If one house votes no on extending, all combat troops must be withdrawn within a year."

I go along with this except that the first vote of approval should be required after 3 months rather than six, and if and when Congress disapproves the withdrawer period should read “as soon as possible but no longer than one year. And at all times the burden of proof that the military action is necessary shall be high.

Sabato on changing the membership in the Senate to give the large states their fairer share of power:

“But today, the structure of the upper chamber of Congress is completely outmoded. Let's build a fairer Senate by granting the 10 states with the greatest population two additional senators each, and the next 15 most populated states one additional senator each.”

I understand Sabato’s desire to make the Senate more democratic, but I disagree with this proposal. The founders intended the balance of power to apply not only between branches but between states as well, and I think the federalist principle of equal power in the Senate should remain.

Sabato on presidential elections:

1. Rotating regional primaries, so that it would no longer be subject to the selfish whims of a few states.

An excellent idea.

2. The Electoral College also must be overhauled, with more populated states receiving additional electors so that a candidate who loses the popular vote can no longer become president. Why not abolish it entirely? The state-based electoral college isolates and simplifies recounts. Imagine how hopeless our predicament would be if the 2000 Florida recount had to be conducted nationwide.

Not an excellent idea. It is time to eliminate the Electoral College and directly elect our president. Sabato’s fear of a national recount is misplaced. Voting problems within a state could be handled by its election officials under tight national regulations.

Sabato on voting rights:

Ending second-class citizenship. Any American who has been a citizen for at least 20 years should have the right to aspire to the White House.

I am slightly ambivalent on this one, but it makes sense and I support it.

Other changes I would make:

Lengthen the term for House members to 4 years to give then a chance to serve without constantly campaigning.

Change the Sixth Amendment in such a way as to guarantee everyone the right to skilled counsel rather than just counsel. No more Texas drunks misrepresenting the accused.

Change the Second Amendment in such a way as to make gun ownership a privilege rather than a right.

Change the First Amendment’s religion clause in such a way as to strengthen the barrier between church and state - no God in the pledge nor on the currency, no invocations at any government function.

Add an amendment that guarantees a specific right to privacy.<<<

And finally, NY Yankee management is an unholy mix of liars and cowards.<<<

Nobody 715

Sunday, October 14, 2007
Nobody 715

Nobody Asked Me But:

Another day, another shooting spree at a school. It’s pretty old hat by now, so why the surprise? Why the wringing of hands? America loves guns! America makes it easy for anyone who wants a gun to get one. Guns kill!

We defend the Second Amendment with the lives of our children. So why the surprise?<<<

Headline: Democrats Seem Ready to Extend Wiretap Powers

Reaction: GUTLESS! GUTLESS! GUTLESS! The Republicans have no conscience. The Democrats have no guts. Third parties have no chance. Where does an outraged voter go?

Hopefully a Democratic President will lead a Democratic Congress to higher ground. But it is easy see why, when polled, the voters consistently rate our lawmakers even lower than a failed President.<<<

I think that Bob Herbert, in the NY Times, with a little help from Stephen Sondheim, describes perfectly both parties in Congress:

But where are the clowns?
Send in the clowns.
Don't bother they're here.<<<

Arthur Schlesinger Jr., while testifying before a subcommittee during the preliminary stages of the Clinton impeachment: “Gentlemen always lie about their sex lives.”<<<

If there were a God, mental exercise would do double duty – help both the body and the mind to stay fit.<<<

I am sure that all of you know that President Ford played football at the University of Michigan, but did you know:

That he turned down offers from the Detroit Lions and the Green Bay Packers to play pro ball at $220 per game.<<<

“I know how hard it is for you to put food on your family.” George, Mr. Sensitive, Bush<<<

On October 7, Hugh wrote:

Friday night was a great October evening. Cool and with a gentle wind
blowing when I left school late in the afternoon. It brought back memories
of past fall evenings, football and Halloween.

My reply:

I love those evenings. Fall is my favorite season. When I was a teen, we used to play tackle football on the Fisher Body lawn in Flint, Michigan - red and gold leaves scattered all around. With no padding. It is a miracle that we didn't kill ourselves.<<<

LOOKING BACK – PRESIDENTIAL HISTORY

I thought it would be interesting to take a look at the high and low points in the term of each president starting with Roosevelt.

Roosevelt – 1933-1945
HP – The New Deal
LP – Indifference to the European Jews who were fleeing Hitler

Truman – 1945-1953
HP – The Marshall Plan/Truman Doctrine – although ordering the integration of our armed forces was almost as special
LP – I would say dropping the bomb without some kind of warning to the Japanese, but the one that would be more generally agreed upon is cronyism

Eisenhower – 1953-1961
HP – His farewell warning about the dangers of the military/industrial complex
LP – His indifference to integration

Kennedy – 1961-1963
HP – Camelot - making the Presidency special again
LP – The Bay of Pigs

Johnson – 1963-1969
HP – The Civil Rights Act of 1964/65
LP – Vietnam

Nixon 1969-1974
HP – Tearing down the wall between China and the United States
LP – Everything else

Ford – 1974-1977
HP – He reestablished trust
LP – 2 ½ years of nothing else

Carter – 1977-1981
HP – Brokered the Camp David talks between Israel and Egypt – a rare success in negotiating peace in the Middle East
LP - Suffered from the same malaise he found in the country

Reagan – 1981-1989
HP - Willingness to negotiate with the “Evil Empire”
LP – Encouraged/tolerated too many “Ollie North type” loose cannons to ignore the Constitution

Bush I – 1989-1993
HP – Spoke of “1,000 points of light”
LP – He lit none of them

Clinton – 1993-2001
HP – Helped Democrats rediscover the political middle
LP – Even though compromise is the essence of politics, he did it too easily

Bush II 2001-2009
HP –
LP – His arrogance of power

As always, I invite your comments on this.

LOOKING BACK – BASEBALL

You know about the remarkable finish that the Colorado Rockies had to their regular season, as winning 14 of their last 15 games. But did you know that 1965 Dodgers topped that? They won 15 out of their last 16, and 8 of those were shutouts. Sandy Koufax pitched 3 complete-game shutouts and Don Drysdale 2. AND in another shutout, Koufax pitched the 9th inning for a save.<<<

LOOKING FORWARD – BASEBALL

(Written Thursday morning, so there is no cheating here.) This year’s two LCS are among the closest match-ups in a very long time. Both are almost u-pick-ums. So I will.

National League – The Rockies have better hitting and, aside from the Diamondback’s Brandon Webb, the pitching match-ups are close. But Webb, who may pitch 3 games, is a difference maker. And no team can stay hot much longer than the Rockies have in winning 17 of their last 18 games. So Webb and the law of averages mean an Arizona victory in 7 games.

American League- I am leery of Cleveland pitching. No team has a better set of top of the rotation pitchers. But Boston can match one of the two with Josh Beckett. And the rest of the Red Sox line-up gets a slight edge, so I say the Sox in 7.<<<

Add on – an amazing fact: The Diamondbacks finished with the best record in the league despite scoring fewer total runs than their opponents.<<<

Did you know: That if you apply today for a season ticket to watch the Green Bay Packers you will be number 74,659 on the waiting list and will get it in 37 years?<<<

I am anxious to get my first look at Stephen Colbert, “I Am America: And So Can You,” especially the chapter on higher education. In it he writes about a favorite course “Ethnic Stereotypes and the Humor of Cruelty” (“A professor will tell you a bunch of hilarious jokes, and you’re not allowed to laugh”).<<<

If you had a chance to read the David Brook column I sent, you know that current thinking is that the old 4-stage life (childhood, adolescence, adulthood and old age) has changed to 6 stages (childhood, adolescence, odyssey, adulthood, active retirement and old age).

I think that a part of odyssey phase can be defined as a search-for-oneself period that delays adulthood/maturity. With that in mind, I would make one change.

In my opinion, many men used to, and some still do, go through their odyssey phase in their 40s. I know that I did. So these lives would have had 6 stages then and seven now with retirement added - childhood, adolescence, pseudo- adulthood, odyssey, adulthood, retirement and old age.

Thoughts?<<<

Today’s wisdom from the past comes from Adam Smith’s “Wealth OF Nations.”

"Were the expense of war to be defrayed always by a revenue raised within the year ... wars would in general be more speedily concluded, and less wantonly undertaken." <<<

The fact that USC suffered one of the worst losses in college football history and dropped only 6 spots shows once more that the C should be dropped from BCS.<<<

And if this is not the dumbest sports statement of the 21st Century, it is very close. It was in Bill Plaschke’s LA Times column Wednesday:

“He (Pete Carroll) is arguably the best coach in college football history.”

Carroll is an excellent coach but before he can even claim a place in the top 10, he must pass the test of time.<<<

This is the first time I have seen this word usage and I love it.

(You supply the name) seems very good at obviating the obvious.<<<

Nobody 714

Sunday, October 7, 2007
Nobody # 714

Nobody Asked Me But:

I learned so much from the first volume of Arthur Schlesinger Jr.’s autobiography that I was doubly sad when he died before writing Volume II. So I received a joyful surprise at Borders last Monday when I discovered that he had authorized his sons to publish his “Journals, 1952-2000.”

So far it is everything I hoped for. For example, I have always considered Adlai Stevenson to be the very personification of liberal. But Schlesinger, while working on the Stevenson campaign in 1952, found him much more eager to embrace the conservative Democratic South than the New Deal North. When famed NY Times columnist “Scotty” Reston, believing that Adlai and Ike were somewhat alike, both good rather than great men, decided to vote for Eisenhower, Schlesinger understood: “If we are going to have a Republican it might as well be the one running on the Republican ticket.”<<<

Worse and worse: Later, (1956) Stevenson claimed that his stand for “moderation” in the civil rights movement was an act of bravery in the face of demagogues who wanted immediate change. He even had the gall to propose a year moratorium on any drive for increased rights for blacks. Adlai, I am so glad that I didn’t waste my very first vote on you.<<<

MOTHER’S MILK In Arizona, a Red state with more registered Republicans than Democrats, the Dems have beaten their foes in the campaign funding game by nearly 14-1. The totals: Democrats - $22.1M, Republicans $1.6M.

An omen? I sure hope so.<<<

Can anyone be familiar with Justice Clarence Thomas’s just released autobiography, “My Grandfather’s Son” and believe that he rules according to law as rather than personal philosophy? The entire book is an attack on liberalism. That’s fine for a politician or a political philosopher but unseemly for a person wearing the robe of the highest court in the land. In fact, I think this book is grounds for impeachment.

There is no justice in a mind so absolutely closed.<<<

I wrote this last Tuesday. On Friday the New York Times chimed in with the following: “The rage he harbors raises questions about whether he can sit as an impartial judge in many of the cases the Supreme Court hears.”<<<

After reading last week’s Nobody, Elizabeth, a huge Diamondback fan, wrote – Phillies’??

Here’s my reply:

Good morning Elizabeth,

I'm sorry!! I picked with my head, not my heart. I think the Phillies’ are the hot team right now. My heart choices are (1) Diamondbacks, (2) Rockies, (3) Cubs, (4) Red Sox.

love, Dad

Actually, after reading the following my heart switches from the Cubs and Red Sox to the Phillies’:

“Gillick (Pat Gillick, the Phillies’ general manager) said that for many years he felt that talent was everything. But he said after watching Philadelphia overcome injuries and other adversity this season and overtake the Mets, he had concluded that talent was overrated.”

"Talent is important," he said, "but what is more important is mental toughness, character, passion and the desire to win.”

I think he is right. Given the choice between an 8 talent with a 10 character vs. a 10 talent who plays a me-first, team-second game, and I will take the 8 every time. This is why I like the D’backs, Rockies and Phillies’. Actually, the Cubs, who I haven’t followed closely, may have “it” too, although with Sorriano and Zambrino as stars, I doubt it.

This is also why I love Ben Howland. If a 10 talent doesn’t have a 10 character as well, he doesn’t recruit him. They is no way that the Bruins were one of the four most talented teams in the country the last two seasons, and yet they made it to the Final Four both times.

And watch out this year and next because Ben’s team will have character AND talent.<<<

Play-offs follow-up: It’s nice to note that a key player on each of my favorites played Bruin baseball – Garrett Atkins - Colorado, Eric Byrnes - Arizona and Chase Utley - Philadelphia.<<<

ON THE ROAD AGAIN

Everybody is writing about the 50th anniversary of Jack Kerouac’s road “trip.” Like most bits of history, it passes through cycles of interpretation. It was good. It was bad. He was lost. He was found. Most current writing puts him in the lost column including Slate’s Meghan O’Rourke who writes:

“It’s a book about death and the search for something meaningful to hold on to — the famous search for ‘IT,’ a truth larger than the self, which, of course, is never found.”

She’s right. There is no IT if we take that word to mean a permanent escape from the twin realities of our humanity, our aloneness and our mortality. (Actually these are two parts of the same thing.) But she’s wrong if she thinks there are no ways to soften “IT,” because there are -things such as family, duty, acceptance, yes, even adventure, and above all love.

The Christian bible says this beautifully in the 13th chapter of Corinthians:

If I speak in the tongue of men and of angels but have not love, I am a resounding gong or a clashing cymbal.

And if I have the gift of prophecy and comprehend all mysteries and all knowledge; if I have all faith so as to move mountains but have not love, I am nothing.

If I give away everything I own, and if I hand my body over so that I may boast but have not love, I gain nothing.

Love is patient, love is kind. It is not jealous, nor pompous, it is not inflated.

It is not rude, it does not seek its own interests, it is not quick-tempered, it does not brood over injury.

It does not rejoice over wrongdoing but rejoices with the truth.

Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never fails.

If there are prophecies, they will be brought to nothing; if tongues, they will cease; if knowledge, it will be brought to nothing.

For we know partially and we prophesy partially, But when the perfect comes, the partial will pass away.

When I was a child, I spoke as a child, I thought as a child, I reasoned as a child; when I became a man, I put aside childish things.

At present we see indistinctly, as in a mirror, but then face to face.

At present I know partially; then I shall know fully, as I am fully known.

So faith, hope, love remain, these three; but the greatest of these is love.

I believe that the perfect (the escape from anxiety) will never come except in moments that are all too brief but beautiful beyond belief. In those moments we step outside ourselves and transcend existence. We live.<<<

And it’s not the eternal contradiction, but it’s close, when students are taught “On The Road” by having to write tightly organized, double-spaced term papers on it.<<<

Speaking of on the road, next week’s Nobody will be late, because I will be visiting Greg and Benjamin in Reno.<<<

Excuse me, my telephone is ringing. Wrong number. It was Judy Giuliani. She thought this was Rudy’s press conference telephone number.<<<

Hillary, this is Jim, the guy you should have picked to run your campaign. But no hard feelings, just a reminder that you are at your best in those too few moments that you drop the canned performance and let your warmer side shine through. People don’t want cold fish for dinner nor for president.<<<

And for you Barak, damn the teacher’s union and full speed ahead on your merit pay proposal.”<<<

And I will even help Fred, “open mouth, try to remove foot,” Thompson just this once. It’s Russia, Fred. We buried the Soviet Union back in the 80’s.<<<

From the Nixon tapes Nixon:

“The government is full of Jews. Second, most Jews are disloyal. You know what I mean? You have a Garment and a Kissinger and a Safire, and, by God, they're exceptions. But Bob, generally speaking, you can't trust the bastards. They turn on you. Am I wrong or right?”

OK, maybe Nixon was worse than Bush. But our current guy is certainly runner-up.<<<

Grady Little speaks out:

“Ever since Ned and I came to this ball club, we do everything together. When decisions are made that work out OK, we celebrate together. When decisions are made that don't work out too good, we cry together. We don't sleep at night together."

Say what???<<<

Did you know that there is a vendor hierarchy at Dodger Stadium? You may start off with ice cream or some such thing, but it takes more than 20 years to work up to selling peanuts.<<<

And here is a great etch-a-sketch of Dodgers past.<<<

Blackwater = Black mark for America. How much damage can Bush be allowed to do to all that America stands for?<<<

Torture = Another secret revealed: In 2005 Bush endorsed of the harshest interrogation techniques ever used by the Central Intelligence Agency. How much damage can Bush be allowed to do to all that America stands for?<<<

Flash: The White House homeland security adviser says we don’t torture if the detainee “becomes cooperative.” Duh!<<<

“Once there was the military-industrial complex. Now we have the mercenary-evangelical complex.” Maureen Dowd.<<<

The picture is of Gilbert Arenas training. This is the same drill that I used to make him do when he was late for class.<<<