Nobody # 784

Sunday, September 13, 2009
Nobody # 784

Nobody Asked Me But:

“Man’s capacity for justice makes democracy possible. Man’s capacity for injustice makes democracy necessary.” Reinhold Niebuhr

Only an educated, informed electorate allows democracy to work. jt

The Fish Market, where I had my birthday dinner, sits at water’s edge in San Diego. Permanently docked close to it is the decommissioned aircraft carrier USS Midway. Between the two, there is a group sculpture of Eisenhower addressing several service people. Now, as you can see from the pictures above, something new has been added. This 18’ artwork depicts the famous Life Magazine photo of a sailor kissing a nurse on VJ Day. Very cool!<<<

MY GUY. I’M TALKING ABOUT MY GUY

That’s my guy! The one who spoke to Congress last Wednesday. He’s the man I voted for in November - the candidate who excited me with the possibilities for a better America. I don’t know where he has been, but I am glad he is back.<<<

WATCHING AND READING

What are all of you currently watching and reading? What’s that? Some of you have to work. Sorry. Along with the Food Channel, which I mentioned last week, I am watching a little Dodger baseball, (most of the time lately, a little is all I can take) Bruin football and “Mad Men.” If you haven’t tried the latter, you are missing some prime television. Its rendition of life on Madison Avenue in the early 1960s is priceless.

Speaking of Madison Ave, our New York City trip is less than 2-weeks away. I can hardly wait.

But I digress. The returning fall shows that I eagerly await are “Bones” and Larry David’s “Curb Your Enthusiasm.” Barbara adds “Ugly Betty,” staring our wonderful ex-student America Ferrera, and subtracts Larry David whose pomposity she cannot stand. Both of us enjoy watching foreign language shows, which is why we tune into British mysteries on PBS.<<<

Late add – I watched the première of the new show “Glee” Wednesday and, despite what I thought was an overly sexy routine for a high school performance, (color me slightly purple for out of touch and prudish) I liked the cast and the funny dialogue – as in nothing sacred – very much.

Books next week.<<<

THE AMERICAN "IDEA"

It seems to me that the American “idea” has two parts. The first is the git/got part. “I’ll get mine” or “I’ve got mine” and everybody else be damned. I will share as little as possible with them. The second is what Lincoln called “our better nature.” That’s the part that looks out for others – those outside of our family, friends and certain peers.

Git/got is one of the reasons that America prospers. But it is also one of the reasons that America falls behind other civilized nations in being a humane society.

The “better nature” part allows us to live for something more than self-interest. We have, in our best national and individual moments, been guided by those ideals to which we give everyday lip service – The Declaration of Independence and The Golden Rule in all its forms.

I believe that Barack Obama calls to our “better nature” more than any president since JFK. This is why he has not lost his appeal to the young who cling to the dream that the good in people can win out. But to most of the over 35/40 crowd, that dream is a passing fancy to be grabbed at during times of crisis and, when the crisis is over, put back on the shelf we reserve for ideals, morality and other impracticalities.<<<

WHAT’S WRONG WITH CALIFORNIA?

Let’s start with this: Californians have voted to “tax themselves like libertarians and subsidize themselves like socialists.” Ouch! The truth hurts.

The quote is Troy Senik’s and is taken from his article “Who Killed California” in the premier issue of the new quarterly magazine National Affairs. (http//www.nationalaffairs.com)<<<

WE DON’T NEED NO STINK’N HEALTH CARE

Let’s hear it for John Mackey, the CEO of Whole Foods Market. He says we don’t need any health care reform. Heck, according to him we don’t even need any health care. All we need to do is become vegetarians (Whole Food vegetarians, I presume) and we will all live to be 90 or 100.<<<

ACTION/REACTION

Action: Sarah Palin, writing in the Wall street Journal, is once again talking about Obama’s “death panels.”

Reaction: What’s that old saying – If you repeat a lie often enough you become Sarah Palin.<<<

Action: Israel OKs construction of 455 more settlements.

Reaction: Someone try to convince me that the Israeli government wants peace. I dare you.<<<

TIME OUT FOR MUSIC

Despite being an absolute and unrepentant atheist, I still have a soft spot for some of the religious music I learned as a boy. That’s why I couldn’t resist singing when I ran across the title of a long-forgotten song in the novel I finished Thursday – even though all who heard me shouted resist! resist!

Anyway, how many of you remember:

“I’ve got a home in glory land that outshines the sun
Outshines the sun, oh lordy, outshines the sun?”<<<

OH THOSE NAUGHTY ELEPHANTS

This past week we had a rare occurrence when Orange County (CA) Republican Assemblyman Michael Duvall (("So, I am getting into spanking her. Yeah, I like it,") won two awards – Family Values Man and Unfaithful Republican of the Week. He was a double winner (in more ways than one) for being caught on an open mike commenting about the sexual prowess of two mistresses.

And isn’t it about time for a party name change? I think that Randy Republican has a nice ring to it.

And since I am giving out awards. Here is my Scumbag of the year: Can it be anyone other than Joe Wilson?

Was Wilson’s outburst planned? I can’t be sure, but he did tweet the following two days before the President’s speech - "Happy Labor Day! Wonderful parade at Chapin, many people called out to oppose Obamacare which I assured them would be relayed tomorrow to DC."<<<

AS IF:

So some charter schools are calling their principals Executive Directors?? - As if – a name change spells real change. Garlic by any other name and all that jazz.<<<

HEADLINE OF THE WEEK – from the Palm Beach Post

“Obama’s Controversial Speech Urges Students To Wash Their Hands”<<<

That’s it until next week. In the meantime try to remember - DON'T SWEAT THE PETTY THINGS AND DON'T PET THE SWEATY THINGS.