This Pilgrim's Progress

I guess it sounded like a good idea

2011-12-21T21:07:00.002-06:00

Barack-star unveiled his new campaign theme.

Unfortunately, it's already been used.

Bracelet-gate

2011-09-24T21:49:00.003-05:00

So what if economists are predicting an inevitable double-dip recession? Who cares if more than 9% of our fellow citizens are unemployed?

If you've got it, flaunt it!

That's just what Mobama did at the most recent fundraiser for her beleagured husband-in-chief. Take a look at those bracelets--$42,000 worth of diamond and gold bling she's sporting!

If Barack is re-elected, I'm hoping there will be a massive redistribution of wealth and I can pick a couple of these up for myself. I think they're really pretty!

Raising Cain

2011-09-24T21:09:00.005-05:00

Sorry for the gratuitous headline.

Herman Cain just sent shockwaves through the Republican Party by winning the Florida straw poll by a huge margin.

RESULTS:
Cain 37%
Perry 15%
Mitt Romney 14%
Rick Santorum 11%
Ron Paul 10%
Newt Gingrich 9%
Jon Huntsman 2%
Michele Bachmann 2%

9-9-9. That's our friend Herman Cain's buzz line for his revamped tax proposal. Basically, the founder of Godfather's Pizza says he'd scrap the whole Federal tax system.

Cain would completely abolish the payroll tax. (Collective cheer from the working people!)

Businesses would be taxed a flat tax of 9% on gross income minus investments.

Individuals would pay a 9% Flat Tax on gross income less their charitable deductions.

Finally, the feds would institute a 9% sales tax insuring that EVERYONE gets to share in the cost of keeping the wheels of this expensive government turning. Right now nearly 50% of Americans are getting off scot free.

Go Herman! I like him and his pizza!

[BTW if you're wondering where the phrase "scot free" comes from, I looked it up. Contrary to popular belief, it has nothing to do with Dred Scott or the Scottish.

Sceot is the Old English for "a tax." Scot and lot was a medieval muncipal tax levied on residents. Someone who managed to avoid paying this medieval tax got off "scot free."

Eventually, the word evolved to describe getting away without any kind of punishment, fiscal or otherwise.

So, now you know. Who ever said this blog isn't educational, as well as entertaining?]

Headband makes a comeback, Hillary to follow

2011-09-24T20:48:00.007-05:00

The headband is back! The last time Hillary rocked this look she was on stage swaying to Fleetwood Mac. Could this be a signal to her supporters that she's tossing her headpiece into the presidential ring? With Barack-star doing the slow motion death spiral, the 2012 race is about to get a lot more interesting.

Two more examples of why I can't take much more of this presidency

2011-09-13T21:12:00.001-05:00

The Cowardice of Paul Krugman

2011-09-11T15:46:00.003-05:00

Today most people are remembering 9/11 and how the nation came together as one, mourning the loss of 3000 fellow citizens at the hands of foreign terrorists and celebrating the brave heroism of our first responders.

Most people.

I'm reprinting a blog post from Paul Krugman, a liberal columnist for The New York Times.

September 11, 2011, 8:41 am
The Years of Shame

Is it just me, or are the 9/11 commemorations oddly subdued?

Actually, I don’t think it’s me, and it’s not really that odd.

What happened after 9/11 — and I think even people on the right know this, whether they admit it or not — was deeply shameful. Te atrocity should have been a unifying event, but instead it became a wedge issue. Fake heroes like Bernie Kerik, Rudy Giuliani, and, yes, George W. Bush raced to cash in on the horror. And then the attack was used to justify an unrelated war the neocons wanted to fight, for all the wrong reasons.

A lot of other people behaved badly. How many of our professional pundits — people who should have understood very well what was happening — took the easy way out, turning a blind eye to the corruption and lending their support to the hijacking of the atrocity?

The memory of 9/11 has been irrevocably poisoned; it has become an occasion for shame. And in its heart, the nation knows it.

I’m not going to allow comments on this post, for obvious reasons.

Krugman titled this post "Years of Shame." I think his comments are shameful. The fact that he doesn't allow comments on his post is a testament to his cowardice.

Decision criteria

2011-09-10T19:53:00.009-05:00

I'm not sure yet, but I'm contemplating tossing my vote for the next President of the United States to the person with the best hair. In 2008 I voted for the person I thought would be the least worst President. He didn't win and we got what we got.

Now, nearly four years later, the country is deeper in debt; unemployment is higher; the stock market is lower; rumors of terror attacks are looming; banks aren't loaning money; no one's buying houses; we've had tornadoes, earthquakes, floods, hurricanes, blizzards...nothing seems to be going right.

I haven't decided for sure, but I think basing my decision on who has the best hair is valid. Call me shallow, but if things are going to stay this badI'd prefer looking at a decent looking person for the next four years over a less decent looking person.

Right now, Rick Perry and Mitt Romney are in the lead.

Rick has great locks. Shiny and thick. I like that.

I've met Mitt and he's one of the most handsome men I've ever seen. Really. He has just the right touch of gray. He's who I'd cast for POTUS if I was making a movie. I wish he'd lighten up on the gel, and just let it go au naturel.

Newt Gingrich has a great head of hair, but I'm not a fan of big men with huge heads of white hair. They remind me of Q Tips. He's out.

Barack-star is also out. The worse the state of the Union, the shorter and grayer his hair gets. Sorry, he doesn't even deserve a photo.

Michele Bachmann has decent hair. She's in the competition. I like how she's moved from brown to auburn. I think it's a little long for a woman her age and a little too helmet-ish, though.

If Hillary would throw her mane in the ring, I'd consider her as long as she continues to use a hairdresser. When she does her own hair it's an epic fail.

I think you can figure out where I stand on Rudy Guiliani.

An up and comer is the guy from Utah, John Huntsman. He's low in the polls, but coming on strong. Huntsman's hair is the right length, nicely salted and peppered, vibrant and healthy.

Of course this is all just in the thinking phase. If the best hair would have won in 2008 we might have President Slime Bag John Edwards and First Girlfriend Rielle Hunter whooping it up in the White House.

I have no choice.

2011-09-08T22:05:00.002-05:00

I'm going to start blogging about politics, again.

I can't help it. The material is just too good.

...and can you supersize that?

2011-08-23T14:22:00.002-05:00

Makin' St. Louis proud!

ST. LOUIS (KMOX) - “I’ll have four cheese sliders, some fries, and…oh yeah, all the cash in your register — to go”…

Police say a woman attempted to pull off an armed robbery at the drive-thru window of a White Castle in north St. Louis early Monday.

When the employees read the note handed to them by the woman and saw her holding what appeared to be a gun, they locked themselves in a back office and called police.

Meanwhile, the woman climbed part-way through the drive-thru window and grabbed the cash drawer before taking off.

She dropped her weapon while making her getaway and it turned out to be a fake.

When police tracked the suspect down at her home in the 1900 block of Warren, the suspect reportedly climbed onto the roof and jumped three stories to the ground below.

She’s hospitalized with non life-threatening injuries and faces robbery charges.

Big Books, Little Print

2011-07-20T22:24:00.002-05:00

Almost all the books on my reading list this year are huge! I think I deserve extra credit.

Right now I'm reading a biography of Charles Lindbergh by A. Scott Berg. It's excellent and 500+ pages. Last night I had a flying dream.

Tick-Tock, Tick-Tock, Now It's Time For Us To Stop

2011-07-01T21:19:00.004-05:00

I remember when my former Benevolent Boss, aka Big Daddy, used to let everyone take off a couple of hours early on the Friday before a holiday.

Non-union staff members were so thankful to have their normal 50+ hour work week reduced by 4% five times a year.

What nonsense.

"OK, boss, I don't mind shuffling, but I won't scratch my head."
Ruby Dee

Good guy finishes first

2011-06-19T20:12:00.005-05:00

"He's humble when he needs to be humble, and he's confident when he needs to be confident."

That's what Jack Nicklaus had to say about new golf hero Rory McIlroy.

What's not to love about this kid? Awesome smile, freckles, loves his mom and dad, he even spent time in Haiti volunteering. Today he finished a stellar U.S. Open to win by 8 strokes, and set a record 16 under par.

Yea! I hope Rory's the new face of golf.

The last time I was this happy was when Zach Johnson won the Master's in 2007. I remember how irritated one of my old co-workers was when Zach won: "A Christian, from Iowa!" I couldn't tell which descriptive was worse to him.

Maybe the days of bad boys Greg Norman, Tiger Woods, and John Daly are finally behind us.

I liked him better on "Welcome Back, Kotter"

2011-06-10T22:28:00.000-05:00

Let's Hear It for The Boy!

2011-06-06T18:44:00.003-05:00

Let's hear it for the boy
Let's give the boy a hand

Congratulations are in order to one of my favorite people in the world. Yep. He landed THE BIG JOB.

If you're wondering...he didn't need to step on anyone, squash anyone, lie about anyone, or stab anyone in the back to get to where he is. He's just smart, talented, fair, and has a vision.

It's great when the good guys win.

Yes, I'm talkin' to you...

2011-05-31T19:48:00.007-05:00

(Note to readers: If you think this post is about you, it is.)

For those of you trying to white-knuckle your way to sobriety, I'd suggest you try AA or some other valid, tried and true 12-step program.

If you insist you're too good to join those "other people"...and, yes, I suppose you do...well the road will be much harder and most likely less successful. In fact, statistics say that without some sort of serious help, more than 90% of folks who stop drinking on their own start up again. So, there you have it.

However, if you insist on doing it "your way", I've done some research for you and here are some tips from WikiHow:

1)Understand why you drink. The brain is divided into two basic parts, which we will call the human brain (you) and the animal brain (it). The animal brain is concerned only with survival, and when you are chemically dependent on alcohol, it falsely thinks that you need alcohol to survive. Because of this, you could call it the "booze brain." If you don't understand how the booze brain works, it can easily trick the human brain (you) into drinking. However, once you understand why you drink, you are prepared to take action with the CORE process - Commit, Objectify, Respond, Enjoy. This simple process can help you stay away from alcohol for good.

2) Commit yourself to permanent abstinence from alcohol. You do not need alcohol to survive. The human brain is much smarter than the booze brain, which doesn't understand that you can live without alcohol. You can outsmart your booze brain by learning to think of it as something other than yourself. This way, when it demands alcohol, you can tell it "never." When you think about this, you might hear your booze brain objecting and pleading with you to "never say never." It does not want you to quit drinking, because it thinks it will die. But you are smarter than it is, and you know you need to stop. Make a plan to quit for good.When you're ready, say the words "I will never drink again." Pay attention to how you feel. If you are scared, panicked, angry, depressed, or feeling badly in some way, that is the booze brain at work. Because in all honesty, you WILL feel bad at first. Your body has been operating with this chemical for...however long? It thinks it needs it. It has to learn how to operate without it now, and learning has a curve. Give it time to learn. Your nerve neurons have been being put to rest for some time now, and now are all a-buzz with activity, so resting and sleep will probably be hard to get for a couple of days. Your booze brain will tell you lies. Call it a liar and watch late night TV till it passes!

3) Objectify your booze brain. Think of it as something separate from yourself, and learn to hear it speaking to you. It will try anything to get you to drink, because it falsely believes that you need to drink to survive. If you are feeling bad, it will tell you to drink to feel better. If you are feeling good, it will tell you to drink to party or celebrate. In fact, it will try to use any event in your life (good or bad) as an excuse to drink. Whenever you have any thought or feeling that suggests drinking, that is the booze brain trying to trick you. Objectify it by saying "it wants a drink" instead of "I want a drink." When you objectify the booze brain, you realize that it has no power over you. You are in control, and it is an outsider. All it can do is try to trick you into drinking, and you can outsmart it every time. Human brains are smarter than animal brains. Whenever possible avoid, or substitute non-alcoholic alternatives for alcohol in social settings.

4) Respond to your booze brain by saying "never" whenever you hear it asking for a drink. This causes the booze brain to back down, because it recognizes that it is not in control and there is no way it can force you to pour alcohol down your throat. It will try many different ploys to trick you into drinking (especially at first), but now that you have this information, you will know what it is up to every time. Remember, any thought or feeling that suggests drinking at any time is the booze brain at work. When you recognize it, just tell it "I never drink" and continue with whatever you were doing. Don't argue with it, just tell it that you never drink. It will eventually get more and more discouraged as time goes on, and it will bother you less and less. Before too long, you'll be an expert at dealing with your booze brain, and it will be easy to stay sober.

5) Enjoy your recovery from alcohol dependence. Don't be afraid that you will slip or relapse, because that fear is the booze brain at work, trying to give you an excuse to give up. Once you practice the CORE process for a while, it will become impossible for you to go back to drinking, because anytime you think about having a drink, you will see that it is just your booze brain at work. Remember, only your booze brain wants to drink. You do not want to drink, you want to quit. You are smarter than the booze brain, and now you know how to beat it. After a short time, the CORE process becomes automatic, and you don't have to make a big effort to stay sober. You may feel bad, angry, sad, or depressed at times, but that's normal. If the booze brain tries to use these feelings as excuses to drink, you will know what it is up to, and you'll know how to deal with it. Just tell it "I never drink" and get on with your life.

6) Say "No thanks, I'm quitting." when friends ask about your behavior, or offer you a beer because they expect that with you. Or "I'm slowing down." Or if you don't want to get into it, just "No thanks." If it's people that come around with alcohol all the time because once again, that's normal around you, you may need to tell them directly that you're quitting so that it isn't constantly in your face. Friends will respect that and keep it at home.

7) Remember, you are a strong individual with a "human" brain. You are stronger than you will sometimes feel you are.

Cheers! I'm glad you're no longer drinking and driving (if you really have quit).

Related Post: Grow Up, Would You?

A sign of things to come?

2011-05-31T19:45:00.002-05:00

Why has my new IPad been lolling around in Louisville all day? Because it missed its plane connection to St. Louis this morning. I hope this isn't a pattern of irresponsibility.

Weekend travel

2011-05-30T15:03:00.004-05:00

My new IPad is apparently having one last fling before it comes to work for me. So far its itinerary has included Chengdu, China; Chek Lap Kok,Hong Kong; and Anchorage, AK. This thing's better traveled than I am.

Out of hiding

2011-05-27T19:24:00.005-05:00

This Arnold Schwarzenegger vs. Maria Shriver stuff has brought me out of the woodwork and back into blogging.

Somehow the media has turned Maria Shriver into a sort of simpering, victim of Arnold's infidelity and resulting love child.

For real? How did I know Arnold's a cad before Maria? I've never met him, lived with him, or seen a single Terminator movie. Go figure.

This continuing refrain of rich, privileged, smart women as victims makes me sick (see Elizabeth Edwards, Jennifer Anniston, Silda Spitzer, Sandra Bullock, Hillary Clinton, etc. etc.)

Move on.

Why I'm mad at Barack-star today

2011-03-24T19:52:00.005-05:00

All this lousy world news (wars, earthquakes, tsunamis, unemployment, collapse of the Euro, fat children, borders under assault by illegal aliens, healthcare costs, etc. etc.) has completely knocked Elizabeth Taylor's passing off the front page and the cable news channels.

That totally bums me out.

And, I blame Barack for not handling these situations as they came up.

Bummer.

I wanted to see more old footage of Richard Burton and Liz, National Velvet, Liz as Maggie in Cat On A Hot Tin Roof, Elizabeth wearing those turban hats, hanging out with cool guys like Rock Hudson, Roddy McDowell, and Montgomery Clift...but no.

It's just one crappy story after another. The world is falling apart. This bad news has even knocked Charlie Sheen out of the A Block.

Yankee, Go Home

2011-03-19T19:42:00.003-05:00

So there was a slight change of plans for the Obama clan. Apparently Rio has its share of racists and right-wing fanatics, too. These crazed folks took to the streets and sent a slightly unwelcoming message to the reluctant leader of the free world, causing his handlers to call an audible and cancel the big guy's speech in the city square.

Hopefully day 2 of Spring Break For The Obama's will go better.

Blame It On Rio

2011-03-17T19:49:00.002-05:00

This Barack-star guy is even more amateur than I originally thought. Where has he been lately? Certainly not working on the situation in Libya, or putting an assistance plan together for Japan, or getting tough with Iran, or negotiating a better healthcare deal, or putting together a serious budget that might impact our ballooning deficit. In fact. this dude is so indecisive he's actually making Jimmy Carter look like one of history's great leaders. Yep. Now that times are really rough he's taking the fam and FLYING TO RIO!!!

Mutton Dressed As Lamb

2011-03-17T17:38:00.003-05:00

It's the time of year when a not-so-great trend rears its ugly head. Dum de dum dum. Moms wearing their teenage daughter's clothes.

No, no, a thousand times no.

As a good friend of mine (who in the interest if protecting him, will remain anonymous) says, "Forever 21 is not meant to be taken literally."

No, middle-aged woman, you're not 21. In fact, we both rounded that bend some time ago. Please step away from the mini-dresses and the plunging necklines, I beg you to cover your upper arms, and above all else give up the short shorts. Too much skin, too many animal prints, and big patterns become a joke when you wear them.

You can still be fashionable. What you can't be is cute in your daughter's clothes. Sorry. Give them up.

Grow up, would you?

2011-03-15T12:58:00.002-05:00

Here's something that really ticks me off. Grown people, like 60-years-old, who continually drink and drive. Especially the ones who can afford to hire a cab or even a driver. Seriously. What makes these arrogant folks think they have the right to endanger my life and yours? The next time I have to move over two lanes because you're swerving and following me too close, I'm calling the police.

I'm talking about you. You know exactly who you are. If I could follow you every night just to get you off the streets I would. Unfortunately, I don't have time. If you have to drink yourself into oblivion every night, the least you could do is stay home.

Consider yourself warned.

Just a suggestion

2011-03-12T22:04:00.004-06:00

Hey! I was at Walmart the other day and saw those folding umbrella strollers on sale for less than $25. If you have a baby or toddler, I'd suggest you do everyone a favor and invest in one. It's not quite like the mini-coupe-sized strollers all the new moms are blocking aisles with these days, but really portable. I toted my son around in one for a few years and he didn't seem to suffer any permanent physical or psychological damage.

Related Posts:

Things I don't understand #7-9

Catching up

2011-02-10T22:17:00.004-06:00

I've really missed checking in with you guys who lurk around here. Here are some random thoughts (in no particular order).

Wow. How about that "storm of the century?" Yep, shut the whole city down for five days for virtually nothing. My favorite part of it was hearing a tv weather dude claim his forecast had been "spot on." He said it with a straight face, too. Hopefully, the cold weather is over and we're headed into spring. Then those same folks can be wrong about rain.

The Super Bowl was a little underwhelming. Granted, we were at a huge party and I wasn't glued to the game but it seemed like everytime I looked up someone was dropping a pass. On the other hand, the food and company were outstanding.

Here's what I've read recently: Little Bee, Luncheon of the Boating Party, Mark Twain's Autobiography, Nemesis and Decision Points.

I love my friends. It's good to have people with integrity on your side.

Metromix has announced the Top 10 Twitter users in the STL. If you've ever thought about getting into Twitter, these folks are a good start. I remember when some people I used to work with called Twitter a fad. Visionary, huh?

Ah, there's so much more to talk about...Egypt, the Blues, Tony LaRussa back for another year to torment us, guys in the corner offices, my favorite TV show--Justified--back on the air, etc. etc.

We'll both just have to come back.

Who makes these decisions, anyway?

2011-02-03T12:32:00.002-06:00

So this ad was banned from running during the Super Bowl by FOX:

What do you bet we see a lot of those respectable Go Daddy ads?

Nice move, FOX.

Oh, yeah, in case you're wondering:

John 3:16: For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.

State of the Union

2011-01-25T22:47:00.001-06:00

Missed it and didn't miss it. If you know what I mean.

The Office

2011-01-25T08:57:00.004-06:00

Next time you ask yourself, "Hmmm. Is there a statute of limitations on taking credit for someone else's work?"

No. It's bad form to use another person's work to bolster your own weak portfolio. It's stealing. Go do something yourself. I know you're capable.

Remember when Barack-star and Biden took credit for the surge in Iraq working after they'd voted against it? People saw through it and the Prez & VP looked stoopid.

SnowMG!

2011-01-20T12:58:00.006-06:00

I caught about 5 minutes of the breathless news folks in ugly snow hats telling me that 8 inches of snow had dumped on the St. Louis area overnight. That's when I turned the TV off and picked up my Mark Twain biography.

Fortunately, I don't work for some crazed megalomaniac (great word), who thinks whatever he/she is doing is so important that all employees need to follow his needless example and slog their way through this mess to push some paper around their respective desks.

Go home. You're not that important and neither is your boss. Besides, there are some great old movies on TMC today.

If you work for a good guy, yea for you! Enjoy the day!

Noise proves nothing. Often a hen who has merely laid an egg cackles as if she laid an asteroid.
Mark Twain

Related Post: News? Not So Much

Knock, knock. Hu's There?

2011-01-19T22:08:00.002-06:00

This is not a joke.

Who was invited to the state dinner with Barackstar and Mobama, and China's Hu Jintao?

Among others...Jackie Chan, ice skater Michelle Kwan, wedding dress designer Vera Wang, Law & Order's B.D. Wong, and cellist Yo Yo Ma.

Hmmm.

Also in attendance was Barbara Streisand who yukked it up by saying her connection with the dinner was “I used to work at a Chinese restaurant.” Again, I'm not joking.

Interestingly, the Obama's did away with the traditional red carpet. Instead, Mobama donned a red dress and matching red gloves. Perhaps showing some sort of weird solidarity with the majority holder of our bank note.

No word if former advisor and Mao-afficionado Anita Dunn was invited.

Goodbye

2011-01-18T12:02:00.003-06:00

Yep. I agree with 79-year-old Regis. It's time for him to go. Actually, take that annoying Kelly Ripa with you.

Related Post: Wise Words

Uh. Oh.

2011-01-14T09:31:00.002-06:00

Doesn't take a genius to figure out why states are raising taxes up to 67% (ie. Illinois)

2011 Book List

2011-01-11T21:34:00.002-06:00

So here it is...the 2011 book list. These are supposed to be some of the finest books ever written in each genre. I hope you enjoy a few of them with me this year.

Biographies/Autobiographies
Eleanor & Franklin, by Joseph Lash
The Spirit of St. Louis, by Charles Lindbergh
Lindbergh, by A. Scott Berg
Truman, by David McCullough
LBJ: Master of the Senate, by Robert Caro

Science Fiction
2001: A Space Odyssey, by Arthur Clarke
Do Androids Dream of Electric Sleep?, by Philip Dick
Starship Troopers, by Robert Heinlein
Ringworld, by Larry Niven
Rendezvous with Rama, by Arthur Clarke

Historical Fiction
A Tale of Two Cities, by Charles Dickens
Les Miserables, by Victor Hugo
The Historian, by Elizabeth Kostova
The Clan of the Cave Bear, by Jean Auel
The Mists of Avalon, by Marion Zimmer Bradley

Mystery
The Godfather, by Mario Puzo
The Silence of the Lambs, by Thomas Harris
A Coffin for Dimitrios, by Eric Ambler
Gaudy Night, by Dorothy Sayers
Witness for the Prosecution, by Agatha Christie

Spiritual/Religious
Black Elk Speaks, by Black Elk
Orthodoxy, by G.K. Chesterton
The Four Quarters, by T.S. Eliot
The Sabbath, by Abraham Joshua Heschel
Zen Mind, Beginner's Mind, by Shunryu Suzuki

Classical Fiction
Ulysses, by James Joyce
A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man, by James Joyce
Lolita, by Vladimir Nabokov
The Sound & The Fury, by William Faulkner
Catch 22, by James Heller

Trust me!

2011-01-11T10:20:00.004-06:00

I just read this and laughed out loud:

The way to avoid backstabbers
is to never turn your back.
Ha! So true. Just some friendly advice to those of you who are regularly subjected to bullies, liars, backstabbers and their kin. Don't kid yourself, you know who they are. They're the ones behind closed doors talking about people behind their backs.

Famous backstabbers:
Marcus Brutus
Benedict Arnold
Elizabeth Taylor
LeBron James
Jay Leno

2010 Book List Review

2011-01-10T21:46:00.007-06:00

Yea! I completed my 2010 book list, plus some. That makes a total of 61 books. Here are my picks for best in their categories.

Classical Fiction:
To Kill A Mockingbird, Harper Lee: Best [tie]
Jane Eyre, Charlotte Bronte
The Count of Monte Cristo, Alexander Dumas: Best [tie]
The Time Traveler's Wife: Worst, frankly I found this book very creepy
Crime & Punishment: Fyodor Dostoevsky

Mystery:
The Murder of Roger Ackroyd, Agatha Christie
The Postman Always Rings Twice,James Cain
Strangers on a Train, Patricia Highsmith: Best
The Big Sleep, Raymond Chandler
Anatomy of a Murder, Robert Traver

Inspirational/Spiritual:
The Road Less Traveled, M.Scott Peck
The Alchemist, Paulo Coelho
I & Thou, Martin Buber
Letters & Papers from Prison, Dietrich Bonheoffer: Best
The Story of a Soul, St. Therese of Lisieux
Waiting for God, Simone Weil

Biographies:
The Years of Lyndon Johnson, Means of Ascent, Robert Caro: Best
Anne Frank: The Diary of a Young Girl, Anne Frank
Eisenhower: Soldier & President, Stephen Ambrose
Dale Carnegie: The Man Who Influenced Millions, Giles Kemp
A Narrative of the Life of Davy Crockett, Davy Crockett

Historical Fiction:
Memoirs of a Geisha, Arthur Golden
Gone With the Wind, Margaret Mitchell: Best [tie]
The Pillars of the Earth, Ken Follett
Outlander, Diana Gabaldon
The Good Earth, Pearl Buck [tie]

Science Fiction:
1984, George Orwell
Foundation, Isaac Asimov
Neuromancer, William Gibson
Slaughterhouse 5, Kurt Vonnegut: Best
The Left Hand of Darkness, Ursula LeGuin

Book Club Selections:
Travels With Charley, John Steinbeck
Tell No One, Harlan Coben
Moloka'i, Alan Brennart: Read it
The Help, Kathryn Stockett: Loved it
The Commoner, John Schwartz
Blessings, Anna Quindlen (second time I read it and still didn't like it)
Chance of a Lifetime, William Hartel
The Book Thief, Marcus Zusak (read this and then read Anne Frank's diary)

(Additions to original book list)

The Faithful Spy, Alex Berenson excellent modern spy novel
The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks, Rebecca Skloot non-fiction worth reading
The Custom of the Country, Edith Wharton
The Screwtape Letters, C.S. Lewis
Gift From the Sea, Anne Morrow Lindbergh
The Tea Rose, Jennifer Donnelly don't waste your time
Secrets of Eden, Chris Bohjalian
The Cellist of Sarajevo, Steven Galloway so good, but so depressing
As I Lay Dying, William Faulkner a classic for a reason
The Darling, Russell Banks
Return of the Native, Thomas Hardy Best addition to my book list
The Magnificent Ambersons,Booth Tarkington
The Post-Birthday World, Lionel Shriver (really unique, left me thinking about it for a long time)
The Lovely Bones, Alice Siebold
Galileo's Daughter, Dava Sobel
The Winter of Our Discontent, John Steinbeck
Titanic Thompson: The Man Who Bet On Everything, Kevin Cook Fun read about a real, larger-than-life guy you've never heard of
Nemesis, Philip Roth excellent!
Paradise Junction, Phillip Finch
In A Place Dark and Secret, Phillip Finch
Rape, A Love Story, Joyce Carol Oates Best Title
Decision Points, George W. Bush

Tomorrow I'm unveiling my 2011 Book List.

Tucson.

2011-01-10T20:10:00.003-06:00

Why is it that the rhetoric seems be ratcheting up, even as people are calling for a return to civility?

One person is to blame for the killings in Tucson.

Wise words

2011-01-06T10:25:00.002-06:00

Here's an editorial I ran across. If you're wondering if it's time to let go of something and move on, it is. Nothing's more pathetic than watching a boss, actor, athlete, doctor, lawyer, or indian chief hang on past their prime. So hang up your red shoes, red hat, red vest, red jersey, or whatever and move on. Let someone else take your place. It's their turn.

Dick Clark, Brett Favre, and the Art of Letting Go
By Lane Wallace

On New Year's Eve, I turned on the television to watch the "ball" drop in New York's Times Square and stumbled on the image of a much-diminished Dick Clark gamely trying to fill his role as the emcee of the celebration despite having suffered a debilitating stroke. It was painful to watch. I understand Clark wanting to reclaim the role and life he had before his illness; my mother suffered a serious stroke a couple of years ago and I watched her fight the same battle in the months that followed. Age and health failures are thieves that steal life and competency away heartlessly, unfairly and sometimes without warning. But it was still painful to watch.

Two days later, I watched a much-diminished Brett Favre put in a sideline, and most likely final, appearance as a professional football quarterback. I say "most likely" because although Favre officially announced his retirement from pro ball on Sunday night, he's reversed that decision more than once before. But this time, watching him stumble increasingly over the course of the season, few viewers had any doubt that the once-great QB, who had taken the Green Bay Packers to the Super Bowl twice and set the NFL record for the longest consecutive streak of game starts (321), was finished. Had been finished, in reality, for some time before he actually conceded defeat. Which was painful to watch, as well.

A few years ago, a friend who was closing in on age 60 told me he'd figured out that the real challenge in life was learning to let go. That's not the only struggle, of course, but it's certainly one of the big ones—especially in the years following 40. Letting go of anything—childhood, baggage, grudges, anger, failure, friends, lovers, loved ones, or just the past in general—is never an easy thing. But letting go of who you used to be, when you really loved being that person, falls into the double-black-diamond level of life challenges.

In 2002, the writer and essayist Roger Rosenblatt gave a beautifully poignant description of that struggle in talking about the great historian William Manchester on an episode of PBS's News Hour. Manchester had suffered two strokes and, subsequently, had lost the ability to find and organize the words necessary to finish his biography of Winston Churchill.

Manchester's face, Rosenblatt said, showed "all the bewildered agony of someone realizing that he cannot do what he was born to do."

We build identities over years and decades. Once, we were our ancestry. Here in the New World of America, we are judged more on what we do than who our parents were. And if we're lucky, we manage to find something to do that we feel, on some level, we were "born" to do. That's the great and wonderful part. Especially if being a natural at something leads to high levels of success or notability in that field, as it often does.

Of course, pursuing something you're so passionate about that you not only excel at it but feel it was something you were born to do makes that activity far more central to both your life and your identity. So what do you do when you edge closer to Father Time than the possibility-filled infant year? When enough years pass that the top of the bell curve slips through your grasp and you find yourself sliding down the far side? When you're past your prime, or not physically or mentally able to do or be what people recognized you for anymore? Who are you, then?

The entertainer and comedian Carol Burnett once said she ended her variety show while it was still getting high ratings—a show that gave her a level of fame and success she never again equalled—because she wanted to exit before the hostess started turning out the lights and asking her to leave. If only Elvis could have had that strength and self-control!

There are also any number of people, famous and not, who have mastered the art of reinventing themselves, over and over again, as their age and capacities and knowledge changed. John W. Gardner, who was the Secretary of Health Education and Welfare under President Johnson and went on after that to found Common Cause before lecturing at Stanford University, lived until the age of 89. And he bragged about taking a new career job after his 76th birthday.

Some of those people take on new careers in completely different fields (former NBA basketball player Kevin Johnson is now the mayor of Sacramento, CA), while others find different ways to contribute in their field of choice, even after their "best" or starring years have passed. Perhaps Favre could coach, or become a commentator, and perhaps Clark could provide valuable input to productions behind the camera. It's not the same as being the out-front star, of course, or nailing a 70-yard pass to win a game that hangs in the balance. But to make that switch first requires a clear and courageous acknowledgment that all things pass, grow old, and need to be let go of, eventually. Of one's own aging, and passing into those who have, instead of those who still will. It requires, in other words, a willingness to look Father Time in the eye and recognize and find peace with a part of ourselves in that image, as well as an optimistic willingness to set out and explore what still might lie ahead. Adventure, after all, can be found in any stage of life, right up through the end.

For years, I've looked at the image of Father Time and the Baby New Year and thought only of its basic interpretation: the passing of the old year and the beginning of the new. But after watching Dick Clark and Brett Favre's performances, it occurred to me that the iconic New Year's image might also be a reminder of the grace and possibility that come from acknowledging not only the renewal of life in the new year, but also the passage of time in the old. From recognizing what time it is, and moving on to whatever lies next before the party gets stale, or the hostess shows you the door.

10 Lessons from 2010

2011-01-01T17:36:00.003-06:00

In no particular order...

1) Bed bugs do bite
2) Tiger Woods is as big a phony as I always thought
3) John Edwards is a bigger phony than I thought, and I thought he was a pretty big phony
4) People with the most power often have the least class
5) When eggs can't be trusted, the year is going to be a bad one
6) Don't believe your bosses...the jobs aren't coming back
7) The internet is the great equalizer
8) Principles and your reputation are worth standing up for, no matter the consequences
9) Friends who stab you in the back were never friends
10)The Golden Rule is still the only rule you need. In case you don't remember it, "treat others the way you'd like to be treated"

Happy New Year!

2010-12-31T23:51:00.001-06:00

Yes, I'm still here. I've been reflecting on all the many lessons of 2010. Stay tuned, I think I'll share some of them with all of you in the next few days.

#$%^&@!@ That George Bush and Dick Cheney!

2010-12-06T18:46:00.002-06:00

Gas prices have hit a 26 month high and may reach $3.00/gallon before the new year. Man, those George Bush Big Oil Cronies are really greedy jerks! What? George Bush isn't in office any more? Oh. Well, thank goodness the economy is in a recovery or none of us would be able to afford to fill our gas tanks.

Mean Women

2010-11-23T12:11:00.004-06:00

I've been thinking about writing this post for a long time--months even. I've formulated exactly what I want to say in my head and how I want to say it. Today I heard that one of my best friends from high school passed away after a long struggle with breast cancer. Sue was one of the funniest, smartest, most accomplished women I've ever known. She wasn't the most popular, or the prettiest, or the coolest--but she loved everyone, delighted in seeing people succeed. And she stayed that way her whole life. We knew each other from the time we were in 7th grade, became fast friends, visited colleges together, and then went our separate grown up ways. Sue held a law degree, but her passion was teaching. If you go to Legacy.com you can read from her current and former students how special she was. She changed lives in the classroom, just like she changed my life, just by knowing her.

Anyway, Sue's passing has spurred me to write this today.

Bullying has been in the news lately. It's a terrible thing. Kids have even committed suicide as a result of severe bullying. But that's not what I want to write about. I want to write about a phenomena I've witnessed over and over among adult women who were bullied as teenagers.

You would think that victims of bullying would grow up to be sensitive adults, aware of other's weaknesses, but accepting of them. From my observation, limited as it is, that's not so. Over and over I've witnessed grown up women become Mean Women, bullies--most specifically in the workplace. And, most of the Mean Women I'm referring to confided to me at one time or another that they were victims of extreme bullying. I feel sorry for those ladies. I'm sorry about their past. But, really, there's no excuse to become a Mean Woman yourself.

My friend Sue and I grew up when "women's lib" was a brand new movement. We had a Social Studies teacher who taught the very first class about women deserving the same rights as men, most specifically in the workplace. It was an elective and only a few brave girls signed up for it. Women who were born a mere five or ten years after me, really have no idea what it used to be like in offices. Watch an episode or two of Mad Men. My own mother who worked in the very male-dominated oil industry was told once by the president of her company that no woman would ever be qualified to become a vice president there. She fought hard, worked hard, and proved him wrong. She was the first, she was a pioneer. But, when she left she'd made sure she'd paved the way for other capable women to follow her path.

In my very first job, I worked for a state agency in Missouri. I was the only woman in the department. We were all traveling to do a video production and my boss actually told me I'd be sharing a room with him. Can you imagine? I didn't and the whole matter was taken to a human relations board to discuss if he was wrong for telling me such a thing or I was wrong for refusing. The ordeal lasted for months. Can you imagine? What a lesson for a 23-year-old. BTW, I was vindicated...but they kept him as my boss. Oh my.

I bring all this up because I think younger women have forgotten--or God forbid--never knew what it took to create an environment where they could succeed.

Now back to my premise that women who have been bullied as youngsters often grow up to be bullies. These women are survivors. They've learned to fight through the pain. If they become successful, it's because they deserve it. They've risen like phoenix from the ashes. Good for them. I'm so proud to know that the women's movement was effective enough that these women could find their place in the world. What I don't understand is why so many of them turn into Mean Women in the workplace. Shouldn't they know better? Is this what they want for their daughters?

Mean Women see other women as threats. Even when they're not. Mean Women can't be happy for other women when they achieve success. I think it must bring out some weird post traumatic disorder in them. I've seen them lie, fabricate, exaggerate, and generally disrespect the other successful women in their organization.

What makes this phenomenon so odious is that it's done behind backs and most often perpetrated against their friends. It's secret and spiteful, yes, it's mean. I asked my mom if she had witnessed this in her office. She said yes, but only among younger women who never knew what it used to be like. She told me--a little too late mind you--that women really need to watch their backs around other women in the workplace.

Isn't that sad? I don't understand why women who were hurt as children, turn on their so-called friends and go out of their way to hurt them. Destroying the careers they've worked hard to build, rather than building them up. I just don't get it.

Mean Women. You give us all a bad name.

We're #1

2010-11-22T08:45:00.003-06:00

Woo Hoo! St. Louis is #1!

Yep. We've been rated the most dangerous city in the United States.

In a mark of an extreme and ignorant attempt at spinning bad news, the spokeswoman for St. Louis Mayor Francis Slay...a woman named Kara Bowlin, tried to reassure St. Louisans by saying `the city actually has been getting safer over the last few years'. She tried to prove her point with a statistic that St. Louis crime is down 7 percent since last year.

Uh, earth to Kara. This is not good news. Not at all.

Hooray for Bollywood

2010-11-16T11:23:00.000-06:00

Because there's nothing like a Bollywood wedding reception to put a smile on your face!

Worth 1000 words

2010-11-07T21:34:00.000-06:00

Just a matter of scale

2010-11-04T10:29:00.006-05:00

At one time I thought it was the height of audacity and insensitivity when the big honcho of a place I used to work at spent a bunch of money to redo his office digs while the company was laying off people right and left.

He's been topped--at least in scale.

2 days after Barack-Star was handed a resounding defeat by voters, in part for spending about 40 million, gazillion dollars on programs the majority of folks have said they don't want and we can't afford...he hightails out of town to India on the public's dime. Well, actually a bunch of dimes. $200 million dollars a day. He says he and his besties are going there to get some new business for the U.S. He better be successful or people are really going to be in a bad mood.

Related posts:
Mobama Living High On The Hog

Let Them Eat Cake

Things I never thought I'd hear in an election cycle

2010-10-22T10:15:00.002-05:00

1) Aqua Buddha
2) "Giannoulias has now admitted that he knew his mobster clients were involved in criminal activity"
2) "I am not a witch"
3) Juan Williams is too conservative for NPR
4) Without Harry Reid the U.S. would be in a depression

Oh, my word. What is going on??

Why so angry?

2010-10-18T10:05:00.004-05:00

Why is Barack-star so angry? In the last two years he got everything he wanted. Massive health care bill, bailouts for Wall Street, ownership of a huge auto company, a parade of czars to push through his agenda with no legislative approval necessary, media adoration, porous borders allowing streams of illegal immigrants into the country, a date certain for leaving Afghanistan to embolden the Taliban to wait it out, financial reform that rescues unsecured union investments but gives pennies on the dollar to guaranteed bond holders, a bully pulpit with mobile teleprompters, a majority in both houses of congress that should insure automatic passage of anything his presidential heart desires, even a private Paul McCartney concert with a few of his closest friends.

So what's the problem? Lighten up, Barack-star. It's our turn. That's what happens in a democracy.

Yes, he likes himself just a little too much

2010-10-14T22:07:00.001-05:00

Obama's Arrogance Starting to Get Noticed
By Jonah Goldberg

‘That's all right, all of you know who I am," President Obama joked last week when the presidential seal fell off his podium during a speech in Pittsburgh.

Even though the incident made headlines for no discernible journalistic reason, it was noteworthy as a succinct example of Obama's arrogance problem. Rather than make a self-deprecating joke, he opted to make a self-inflating one, as if to say that the title mattered less than the man.

The good news is that it's apparently not racist to call Obama arrogant anymore. Not long ago, Keith Olbermann and other gargoyles on the parapets of establishment liberalism insisted that if you were to call attention to the fact that Obama ostentatiously holds himself in very high regard, you were really calling him "uppity," if you know what I mean.

Now, what was once taboo has become undeniable. Even the New Yorker's David Remnick, author of a loving biography of Obama, tells Der Spiegel, "Obama has a considerable ego."

And here's Time's Mark Halperin: "With the exception of core Obama administration loyalists, most politically engaged elites have reached the same conclusion: The White House is in over its head, isolated, insular, arrogant and clueless about how to get along with or persuade members of Congress, the media, the business community or working-class voters."

Halperin's diagnosis was inevitable, given Obama's conviction that he represented a movement that was larger than politics or even the presidency. After all, this was the man who, as a candidate, descended on Berlin as the leader of a worldwide cause that transcended national borders. And when asked in a debate what his greatest weakness was, he plumbed his soul and answered that he was disorganized. "My desk and my office doesn't look good," he said. When a man runs as a national redeemer and says his biggest failing is a messy desk, that should be a warning sign that he likes himself a bit too much.

Of course, all presidents have healthy egos. You cannot become president, or even think you're qualified to run, if you don't think highly of yourself. Obama's arrogance problem isn't a matter of psychology but of strategy.

When Arkansas Democratic congressman Marion Berry complained that health-care reform felt like a replay of the Hillarycare debacle, Obama explained that the big difference between then and now was "me." In other words, the White House's plan for making everything work out was an unyielding confidence in the power of Obama's own cult of personality. That's why that cult's high priest, David Axelrod, pursued a strategy of greeting every problem as if it were an excuse for Obama to give another big speech.

Now that the strategy has proved catastrophic, the self-pity is pouring out. Joe Biden, in a rare interregnum of lucidity, assailed his own base as whiners. Rahm Emanuel, as he was fleeing for the healthier and more civic-minded political environment of Chicago's backrooms, said, "I want to thank you for being the toughest leader any country could ask for in the toughest times any president has ever faced."

Really? The times have been rough, we can all agree, but if memory serves, the Civil War was no cakewalk either. And that Pearl Harbor thing - not to mention 9/11 - might compete with the miserable economy Obama inherited and then ignored as he pursued his own "transformational" vanity projects.

There's an irony to occupying the Oval Office. When presidents think they're bigger than the job they hold, they shrink in office. When they think they're smaller than the honor that has temporarily been bestowed upon them, they grow into it. Obama has done nothing but shrink.

Last week, the president of the United States attacked Karl Rove by name - twice! - in a speech. He recently begged a crowd of black supporters not to "make me look bad" by staying home from the polls. In an interview with Rolling Stone, he scolded young voters that if they don't vote, it will be proof they "weren't serious in the first place."

It never dawns on him that were it not for the unseriousness of those voters, he might still be a one-term junior senator from Illinois.

"You know, I actually believe my own bull-," Obama told the author of Renegade: The Making of a President, Richard Wolffe.

Exactly. And that's why he's gotten into this mess.

© 2010 Tribune Media Services, Inc.

Page Printed from: http://www.realclearpolitics.com/articles/2010/10/14/obamas_arrogance_starting_to_get_noticed_107552.html at October 14, 2010 - 10:06:51 PM CDT

Where do we start?

2010-09-30T08:14:00.002-05:00

Yes, I've been out of touch. Underground, so to speak. There's so much to catch up on! Where to begin? You choose...

1) Politics
2) The state of the economy
3) Recent pictures of the family
4) A review of confidentiality agreements (tsk, tsk...y'all know who you are!)
5) Great recipes
6) Places to go, people to see
7) Terrorism threats
8) College football
9) Social media
10)Spiritual matters

Missed you. Well, most of you.

K

Just a fact

2010-09-09T22:18:00.000-05:00

Guess who's having the time of her life...

Yep. That would be me.

Uh-oh.

2010-09-04T20:08:00.004-05:00

"If it's not growing, it's going to die."
Michael Eisner

Vacation

2010-08-30T13:14:00.005-05:00

In a week and three days we're leaving for a fall vacation.

I used to have a boss who resented it when people used the vacation days they'd earned or took time off during holidays. It was a weird tic he had that made you feel guilty for enjoying your time away from the office. It also caused me to wonder what was going on in his personal life that caused him to want to spend so much time at the office...but that's another story.

So, back to our vacation...

We're leaving for NYC next week. We spend two days in the Big Apple. We're having dinner with some folks we met on our trip to Italy a couple of years ago who are just about the most fun people you'll ever spend time with. Roberta is an event planner and Walter is an independent investment banker. Roberta is going to look for Broadway tickets, too.

We're also hoping to see my brother, sister-in-law, niece Megan and Patrick, her fiance. And, since we'll be there during the 9/11 anniversary, we're planning to join the crowd at Ground Zero on Saturday.

Then we board the Queen Mary II. Yes, you read that right!! The Queen Mary II--one of the most beautiful ocean liners ever built. We're crossing the Atlantic for seven days, docking in Southampton.

We culminate our trip with four days in glorious London. Oh my. Once a year the Queen opens her palace for a few commoners. We're two of them! Yes, Mr. C. and I will be inside Buckingham Palace! I can hardly believe it myself.

Besides the palace visit, we'll be packing as much in those four days as possible--everything from dinner at one of Gordon Ramsay's restaurants to an afternoon at the horse races to a play (The Merry Wives of Windsor) at the Old Globe.

It will be so fabulous to spend two weeks completely enjoying ourselves, with no one checking a time sheet trying to make me feel guilty for having a life.

[BTW, if you have a boss like the one above--ignore him. You earn your time off by working hard and have a right to enjoy every single second of it.]

St. Louis in the news!

2010-08-30T10:09:00.004-05:00

Wow! St. Louis has made the national news!

1) Lambert-St. Louis International Airport ranked third worst airport in the U.S.
2) St. Louis Public Schools are paying kids to attend

30 Days of family-friendly dinner and recipes for $7!

2010-08-21T13:32:00.002-05:00

No kidding! All the planning is done for you.

Deluxe package with recipes printed on cards and customized menus for your family's likes and dislikes, $12.

Click here: September Menus

On the FM

2010-08-19T20:28:00.001-05:00

I'm going to be on the radio Friday. You can only hear me if you're visually impaired. If you're visually impaired, send me an e-mail and I'll tell you what's up. Actually, you better call me, unless you have one of those fancy computers made just for you.

Triples

2010-08-17T12:45:00.002-05:00

I love the saying "He was born on third base and thinks he hit a triple." I think of it everytime someone hits a triple--which is actually quite rare. In 10 years, Albert Pujols has hit just 15 triples.

I know a lot of people who were born on third base. Very few of them (actually just one) hit a triple.

Headline of the day

2010-08-09T12:54:00.001-05:00

Pantless Man Caught With Armless Mannequin

Now THIS is news.

The BEST Risotto

2010-08-07T10:54:00.002-05:00

You have to try this...very chhhhhheeeeeezzzzy.

Easy Risotto

Whoop-de-doo!!

2010-08-06T11:29:00.003-05:00

Hooray! The St. Louis Rams are gearing up for the 2010 preseason. Hullo----anyone out there listening? Oh, you don't care either?

With a record of 6-32-0 over the last three seasons, this is hardly the greatest show on turf.

I know a great promotion--bring on the vuvuzelas! At least the fans(?) would have something to talk about. (Note to readers: You can use that idea for free).

Mobama living high on the hog

2010-08-05T21:45:00.004-05:00

According to English Idioms Volume 2, the saying "living high on the hog" originated because "the best and most expensive cuts of ham come from the upper part of a pig's haunch".

Today the phrase has come to mean `flaunting a luxurious lifestyle'.

I'd say Mobama's jaunt to Spain with 40 of her nearest and dearest friends during one of the worst economic times our country has ever faced fits that definition.

I actually don't care where Mobama vacations or who she vacations with...I just think it's incredibly insensitive and hypocritical.

Kind of like when private country clubs have draconian rules to keep certain types of people out, but let in one person of the Jewish faith and one African American to demonstrate their diversity. Hahahahahahahahahahaha.

Related Post: Let Them Eat Cake

Great Headline

2010-08-04T12:28:00.001-05:00

As Seen On The Drudge Report:

BLOW TO O: MO SAYS NO

This is why you need to vote "yes" on Proposition C

2010-08-03T11:03:00.001-05:00

Bloomberg Columnist: Obamacare looks worse upon further review.
By Kevin Hassett - Aug 1, 2010 9:00 PM EDT

One of the more illuminating remarks during the health-care debate in Congress came when House Speaker Nancy Pelosi told an audience that Democrats would “pass the bill so you can find out what’s in it, away from the fog of controversy.”

That remark captured the truth that, while many Americans have a vague sense that something bad is happening to their health care, few if any understand exactly what the law does.

To fill this vacuum, Representative Kevin Brady of Texas, the top House Republican on the Joint Economic Committee, asked his staff to prepare a study of the law, including a flow chart that illustrates how the major provisions will work.

The result, made public July 28, provides citizens with a preview of the impact the health-care overhaul will have on their lives. It’s a terrifying road map that shows Democrats have launched America on the most reckless policy experiment in its history, the economic equivalent of the Bay of Pigs invasion.

Before discussing what the law means for you, we have to look at what it does to government. That’s where the chart comes in handy. It includes the new fees, bureaucracies and programs and connects them into an organizational chart that accounts for the existing structure. It’s so carefully documented that a line connecting two structures cites the legislative language that created the link.

Ornate System

This clearly is a candidate for most disorganized organizational chart ever. It shows that the health system is complex, yes, but also ornate. The new law creates 68 grant programs, 47 bureaucratic entities, 29 demonstration or pilot programs, six regulatory systems, six compliance standards and two entitlements.

Getting that massive enterprise up and running will be next to impossible. So Democrats streamlined the process by granting Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius the authority to make judgments that can’t be challenged either administratively or through the courts.

This monarchical protection from challenges is extended as well to the development of new patient-care models under Obama’s controversial recess appointment, Donald Berwick, whom Republicans are calling the rationer-in-chief. Berwick will run the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, where he can experiment with ways to use administrative fiat to move our system toward the socialized medicine of Europe, which he has at times embraced.

Closer to Home

A sprawling, complex bureaucracy has been set up that will have almost absolute power to dictate terms for participating in the health-care system. That’s what the law does to government. What it does to you is worse.

Based on the administration’s own numbers, as many as 117 million people might have to change their health plans by 2013 as their employer-provided coverage loses its grandfathered status and becomes subject to the new Obamacare mandates.

Those mandates also might make your health care more expensive. The Congressional Budget Office predicts that premiums for a small number of families who buy their insurance privately will rise by as much as $2,100.

The central Obamacare mechanism for increasing insurance coverage is an expansion of the Medicaid program. Of the 30 million new people covered, 16 million will be enrolled in Medicaid. And you could end up in the program whether you want it or not. The bill states that people who apply for coverage through the new exchanges or who apply for premium-subsidy credits will automatically be enrolled in Medicaid if they qualify.

Hurting the Elderly

To pay for this expansion, the bill takes $529 billion from Medicare, with roughly 39 percent of the cut coming from the Medicare Advantage program. This represents a large transfer of resources, sacrificing the care of the elderly in order to increase the Medicaid rolls.

For all this supposed reform, you, the American taxpayer, can expect a bill to the tune of $569 billion.

Front and center among the new taxes is the 40 percent excise tax on those lucky people with so-called Cadillac health plans. The higher insurance costs that are driven by the government mandates will push many more ordinary plans into Cadillac territory.

If the idea of taxing people with coverage deemed too good doesn’t bother you, maybe the new 3.8 percent tax on investment income will. That will apply even to a small number of home sales, those that generate $250,000 in profit for an individual or $500,000 for a married couple.

In vivid color and detail, Congressman Brady’s chart captures the huge expansion of government coming under Obamacare. Harder to show on paper is the pain it will cause.

(Kevin Hassett, director of economic-policy studies at the American Enterprise Institute, is a Bloomberg News columnist. He was an adviser to Republican Senator John McCain in the 2008 presidential election. The opinions expressed are his own.)

[Hat tip: Kingsley]

Be prepared!

2010-07-29T09:41:00.003-05:00

How do you know elections are coming up in less than 100 days?

The President Of The United States chooses to diss the Boy Scouts on their 100th anniversary...to appear with the gals on The View.

Shameful.

Book Report: The Road Less Traveled

2010-07-23T16:27:00.004-05:00

The Road Less Traveled was written by psychoanalyst M.Scott Peck. The first line is "Life is difficult." Amen to that. Peck goes on from there to describe a mature individual's path toward spirituality. It's important to emphasize "mature". Peck postulates that a person's education, worldly success, personal wealth, or lack thereof...are no indicators that an individual will achieve a spiritual existence. In fact, according to Peck, the path toward spirituality is so difficult most people just give up.

Too bad. Peck gives us this as the magnificent essence of true spirituality and oneness with God:

If as adults, walking around on two legs, capable of making independent choices that influence the world, we can identify our mature free will with that of God, then God will have assumed through our conscious ego a new and potent life form. We will have become God's agent, his arm,so to speak, and therefore part of Him. And insofar as we might then through our conscious decisions be able to influence the world according to His will our lives themselves will become the agents of God's grace. We ourselves will then become one form of the grace of God working on His behalf among mankind, creating love where love did not exist before, pulling our fellow creatures up to our own level of awareness, pushing the plane of human evolution forward.

Ace Golfer Unholy [Challenge For You]

2010-07-22T11:57:00.008-05:00

I love anagrams. Some people say they forecast the truth. Here are some good ones:

The Morse Code = Here Come Dots
Funeral = Real Fun
Statue of Liberty = Built to Stay Free
Elvis = Lives
Princess Diana = I end as car spin

Here's some I came up with:

Scorned gnome roping
A Thundered Furry Sis
Amateurish Ashtray Flip

Liar, liar, pants on fire....

2010-07-20T22:30:00.006-05:00

I had lunch yesterday with a friend who is just about the most trustworthy person I know. When she says she's going to do something, she does it. When she says she's going to be somewhere, she's there early. When she tells you how something happened, you know you could play a video and it would look just like she described it. This friend is also a very generous and open person. She will do anything to help you at any time.

I also know someone who is known for being an untruth teller (hear how gently I put that?). You cannot trust this woman with a-n-y-t-h-i-n-g. I'm convinced that she lies, just to prove that she can. It's actually very strange to be around a pathological liar. Say you've had a one-on-one conversation, you both know what happened, but when you hear the liar repeat what happened--it's nothing like what went down. Now why would someone do that? They know you know the truth, but they still lie! Bizarre, huh? This woman is also extremely controlling, selfish with her time, and (figuratively, of course) takes her toys home when people don't play the game the way she wants.

Frankly, I'd never thought about there being a correlation between lying and being a selfish, narcissist. Then I read this from the Mayo Clinic: "Pathological lying is one of the hallmark characteristics of a narcissist, who does it out of a need to manipulate and maintain control."

I'm the sort of person who likes to find reasons for behaviors, it helps me make sense of nonsensical things--like why a person would ever choose to be a liar.

Next up: Trying to figure out why a person would ever believe anything a pathological liar says.

“I'm not upset that you lied to me, I'm upset that from now on I can't believe you.” Friedrich Nietzsche

News? Not so much

2010-07-15T16:14:00.003-05:00

Four things in the news I don't care one whit about:
1) Chelsea Clinton's wedding plans
2) Mel Gibson's tirade
3) KSDK losing rights to broadcast St. Louis Cardinals baseball games
4) St. Charles school district putting in astroturf

Bonus: Yes, it's hot. I've been outside. I really don't need television and radio news people to tell me.

These are examples of why local news coverage has become entirely irrelevant in my life and probably yours. Fortunately, not watching local television news or reading the local newspaper has freed up a lot of time for me to do worthwhile things. You should try it!

Priorities

2010-07-14T23:03:00.004-05:00

I was challenged to articulate my priorities. I think I can do that.

1)Faith
2)Family
3)Good health
4)Friendships
5)Meaningful work

What about you?

...things I don't understand...cont'd

2010-07-14T22:25:00.002-05:00

15) The Vuvuzela
16) How the government can say it's "saved or created three million jobs" when there's still a 9.5% unemployment rate

Other things I don't understand:
#1-#3
#4-#5
#6
#7-#9
#10
#11
#12
#13
#14

Just to clarify...

2010-07-11T20:41:00.004-05:00

I'm in a group that meets weekly that has confidentiality as one of its basic tenets. We always say `what is said in this room, stays in this room.' And, you know what? In 3 years, no one has violated that agreement. No one. Not a soul. There were no legal papers to sign, just a verbal agreement.

What's amazing about this is I've also been a party to a legal confidentiality agreement signed by many parties. This "legal" and "binding" agreement has been violated time and again by the folks who signed it. So, just to review--here are some key things to think about when you sign such an agreement and before you decide to violate such an agreement:

Confidentiality clause: The intention of a confidentiality clause is to keep matters private. A confidentiality clause means conversations, written communications, electronic communiques, heresay, agreements, and terms of settlements cannot be disclosed to anyone or discussed in any situation public or private.

Penalties for violating confidentiality clauses: When you sign a confidentially agreement, you are agreeing to remain silent on a particular issue. The penalty for violating a confidentiality agreement can result in fines and even jail time.

I hope this is helpful.

The Cold War Heats Up Again

2010-07-09T14:17:00.003-05:00

This story has made the whole summer (oil spill, looming tax hikes, killer heat wave, unemployment) a little more bearable. Complete with a sultry redhead, the story climaxed with an international spy swap in unmarked jets. Boris and Natasha live! Love it.

Watch your language

2010-07-01T12:54:00.002-05:00

Who would have guessed that "tarball" would become part of our everyday vernacular?

Sounds like something you'd hear on a playground or call your ex boss.

Fly me to the moon

2010-06-24T11:42:00.002-05:00

Plummeting poll numbers, loose lips from a top general, an oil spill desecrating our beaches, smackdown from a Judge after he tries to ban offshore drilling, and now this?

Barack-star is having a very bad week.

He has no idea what he doesn't know

2010-06-19T18:49:00.006-05:00

Sometimes people just don't know what they don't know.

I had a boss once who referred to Asians as "Orientals". I guarantee you he thinks of himself as one of the 'smartest guys in the room', but he's clueless.

That's what I think is going on with Barack-star and this massive oil spill. Obviously, Barack-star's a smart dude. No doubt he was at the top of his class throughout his many years of schooling. A+, A+, A+. But, he apparently missed the real world experience that separates him from the rest of us "little folks" who are trying to make a good life, while we make a good living.

In his speech Tuesday, 57 days after the oil rig exploded, Barack-star finally told us what he's going to do about the situation...it boils down to 1) appointing another czar and 2) establishing another commission to determine what happened.

That's it! That's all! Barack-star is clueless. He has no idea what he doesn't know. He still thinks he can get by by playing to the teacher...only there is no teacher! He's the President of the United States for heaven's sake. Do something. Anything. Okay, anything but appoint a czar or establish a commission.

So, while Bobby Jindal tries to get barges to his state's coastline to suck up some oil only to be blocked by the feds because the barges didn't have enough safety vests, regular folks are sending BP more than 5000 ideas daily on how to sop up the mess, and even Kevin Costner has gotten in on the act with a "dream machine" he says will separate oil from water--our President makes a speech, meets with BP for 20 minutes, and then goes out for another round of golf. Genius.

Barack-star! Being a leader is more than just talking a good game. Do something.

Related Post: Let It Be

A century!

2010-06-12T18:24:00.007-05:00

This was a 5-star day! Our family is busy planning a 4th of July weekend birthday celebration for my grandmother who will be turning 100 years old. Yep, you read that right--100!!

One of my jobs for the party is to create a 100-year timeline of my grandmom's life. I drove down to her little town and spent all day with her. We went decade by decade, reviewing as much of grandmom's life as possible. I heard stories about her parents, her brothers and sisters, all the different homes she's lived in, how she and my granddad survived the depression, what she did during the war when he was drafted--leaving her with 3 small children...and on and on--all the way to 2010.

Making the day even better--my uncle was there for most of the time, too. This uncle is my mom's oldest brother who's married to my dad's sister. It was great to have Gary there to keep my grandmom honest and make sure she didn't embellish her stories too much.

We also went through hundreds of pictures. Here's some advice--label your photos for future generations.

I can hardly wait to put the timeline together. If I can figure out a way to do it, I'll post it online after the party.

Summertime and the livin' is easy

2010-06-08T22:01:00.007-05:00

I was worn out from being unemployed, so I tagged along with Mr. C on a little business trip to Sanibel Island.

A stay at the Sanibel Harbour Resort and Spa was just what I needed.

Celebrated our final night with a romantic dinner.

A little sun, a little key lime pie and all is right with the world!

After dinner, a storm rolled in...

Time to head home.

Let it be

2010-06-03T09:34:00.005-05:00

Apparently it's true that history repeats itself--and not necessarily in a good way.

In AD 64, Emperor Nero played the fiddle while Rome burned in the great fire. As a side story, Nero also persecuted Christians and executed his mother and step brother. After the fire Nero committed suicide.

In 1793, Marie Antoinette lost her head. Literally. Marie was kind of a poor, little rich girl who really didn't understand the dire circumstances of her starving subjects. Um, not good. Those folks took control of the situation.

In 1968, "Landslide Lyndon" was brought down and forced into ranch retirement, primarily due to his tone deaf handling of the Vietnam War. Despite millions taking to the streets in protest, Johnson escalated the number of U.S. troops in Vietnam from 180,000 at the end of 1965 to 550,000 in 1968. Nearly 60,000 Americans lost their lives in that "conflict".

Fast forward to 2010.

We have the most massive oil spill in the history of the world--and no clear plan on how to control it.

Our President consistently and stridently ignored the will of the American people and twisted arms, promised favors, pushed and prodded until he finally got a huge, costly, unread, and unpaid for healthcare bill passed.

Mr. O keeps telling the country that we're "in a recovery". Okay. Maybe. But the recession also saw the loss of more than 8 million (!) jobs and there's no plan to create new ones.

Bursting the mortgage bubble caused a nationwide average drop in home property values of 34%, experts say we can expect another 12% drop in 2010.

Add to all that--millions of illegal immigrants demanding benefits, jobs, health care, education; an unsustainable deficit; a move toward social programs that have already proven disastrous to the European economy; a pursuit of nuclear arms in rogue countries like North Korea and Pakistan; etc. etc.

So what does our President choose to do? Like Nero, Marie, and Lyndon...party on!

Adding insult to injury, here are some "poignant" words from our leader trying to empathize with the little people last night:

“It goes without saying that this has been a very difficult time. Right now our thoughts and prayers are with friends in the part of the country that is so rich in musical heritage. The Gulf Coast, who are dealing with something simply not seen before.”

In the words of Marie Antoinette, "Let them eat cake."

Special treatment

2010-06-02T13:59:00.004-05:00

Being unemployed is so stressful I had to schedule a spa day to relax.

Cheers to all my working pals!

Guess this big smooch wasn't all it was cracked up to be

2010-06-01T14:39:00.003-05:00

An inconvenient marriage?
Wow. After 40 years together, Tipper and Al are calling it quits.

RIP Dennis Hopper 1936-2010

2010-05-29T14:09:00.002-05:00

Retro week

2010-05-28T21:11:00.005-05:00

It's been a very Betty Draper sort of week for me.

Lots of homemaking--you know, cooking, cleaning, vacuuming, dusting, arranging, beauty appointments.

All in all, I'd give this week 4 stars. I'm just beginning to tap into all the benefits of being unemployed.

RIP Gary Coleman

2010-05-28T13:47:00.003-05:00

So sad. He was just 42.

American Idol 2010 Finale: It's DeLightful, It's DeWonderful, It's DeLovely, It's Dewyze

2010-05-25T20:12:00.003-05:00

Crystal was the better singer tonight (she also had better songs), but I think Lee DeWyze will be crowned this season's American Idol winner.

Ooo la la at the French Open

2010-05-24T09:01:00.004-05:00

C'est une plaisanterie, droite?

American Idol 2010 Top 3 Power Rankings: A Word To DeWyze

2010-05-18T20:25:00.001-05:00

1) Lee DeWyze
2) Crystal Bowersox
3) Casey James

Book Report: The Help

2010-05-17T09:29:00.003-05:00

There's so much hype about this book, I was afraid it couldn't possibly live up to my expectations.

Well--it did! Read it!

Best current fiction I've read in a couple of years.

"Ah, how good it feels! The hand of an old friend." ~Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

2010-05-14T13:51:00.006-05:00

One of my favorite people in the world is in town and we had lunch today. Everytime I'm with him is a reminder that working in the media world and being a nice guy doesn't have to be mutually exclusive.

Now that I'm unemployed, I can choose to surround myself with people with integrity. Lucky me!

American Idol 2010 Top 4 Power Rankings

2010-05-12T17:28:00.001-05:00

I almost forgot to post this!

1) Crystal Bowersox
2) Lee Dewyze
3) Casey James
4) Michael Lynche

Slow down

2010-05-12T10:20:00.002-05:00

Warning to all my friends traveling on Lindbergh...

There's a cop shooting radar at Lindbergh & Clermont Lane.

Slow down.

Unemployment Update

2010-05-11T14:15:00.004-05:00

No, I don't have a job.

But! I did take a very long walk with Grace, my son's Vizsla. Grace and I were pleased to see that folks throughout the neighborhood are busy beautifying their personal spaces. We ran into landscape trucks, retaining wall experts, painters, neighbors planting, sweeping, and pulling weeds. In general, Clermont Lane is looking quite spiffy.

Neighborhood excursion complete, it's now time for a little rest and relaxation. I need to be fresh for my book club tonight.

Book Report: Slaughterhouse 5

2010-05-11T12:11:00.003-05:00

Unlike the aforementioned The Tea Rose, Slaughterhouse 5 is pure genius. In parts, Slaughterhouse 5 is science fiction, World War II memoir, satire, humor--and all in barely more than 200 pages. Absolutely Kurt Vonnegut at his best. So it goes.

Beware!

2010-05-08T22:13:00.004-05:00

Now that I'm among the 9% of Americans who are unemployed, I'm visiting a lot of job sites on the internet. I run across many, many great employment articles. Here are highlights from one that some of you may find interesting. It's titled, What Makes A Boss Bad. Click on the link if you want to read the whole article.

•Love brownnosers, tattletales, and relatives who report to them. They choose favorite employees and cover up and make excuses for the poor work of their incompetent favorites. They ignore selected people and discriminate against many employees.

•Fail to communicate, and may not even have, expectations, timelines or goals. Bad bosses change their minds frequently leaving employees off-balance. Bad bosses change expectations and deadlines frequently.

•Use disciplinary measures inappropriately when simple, positive communication would correct the problem. Bad bosses ignore employees until there is a problem, then pounce.

•Speak loudly, rudely, one-sidedly to staff. Bad bosses don't provide the air time for staff to respond to accusations and comments. They intimidate people and bully staff. They allow other employees to bully employees.

•Take credit for the successes and positive accomplishments of employees. They are equally as quick to blame employees when something goes wrong.

•Fail to provide rewards or recognition for positive employee performance.
These six were the top "bad boss" characteristics cited by readers. The following came up less frequently but were contributed by more than one reader. The bad boss:

•Is not qualified for the boss job by either skills or experience.

•Will not let go of problems or mistakes. The bad boss returns to discuss negative events continually and searches for faults in employees.

•Will not accept constructive feedback and suggestions for improvement. The bad boss can't deal with disagreement from employees who have their own opinions about work related issues.

•Lacks integrity, breaks promises, and is dishonest.

•Does not have the courage to deal with a difficult situation despite knowing that it is the right thing to do.

•Causes dissension among staff members by his or her actions and comments.

My job counselor at the Missouri Employment Office will be glad that I'm keeping these things in mind during my job search.

Book Report: The Tea Rose

2010-05-07T07:53:00.003-05:00

I had high hopes for this massive door stop. I was told, "you'll love it!" "you won't be able to put it down!" "there's a sequel!". Well, you may...but I didn't.

In fact, The Tea Rose is everything I don't like about so-called historical fiction. Pick a time period, throw in a bunch of unrelated events (in this case, everything from Jack the Ripper, to dock strikes in London, to Nellie Bly the American journalist...and way, way more improbable, intersecting events), then add a modern female heroine (feisty, strong, witty, ambitious, blah, blah, blah), and a few modern storylines (gay character befriends our feisty, strong, witty and ambitious heroine)...and stretch it out for 550 unlikely, trite, and unchallenging pages...and ta da! An historical fiction book is born.

If you like Barbara Taylor Bradford books, you'll love this. I don't and I didn't.

Countdown to Mother's Day

2010-05-06T09:26:00.004-05:00

Mother's Day is this coming Sunday.

My mom lives with us, so every day is Mother's Day around here.

Regardless...the pressure is on to find the perfect gift--that is, one that measures up to whatever my 3 siblings come up with.

Well, the competition has begun. Kudos to my sister in Memphis for getting her gift here first. No idea what it is, because it's wrapped (more points awarded).

Who says you grow out of sibling rivalry?

American Idol 2010 Top 5 Power Rankings

2010-05-04T19:59:00.002-05:00

I love Harry Connick, Jr. He should be the standard that all men hold themselves up to.

1) Lee Dewyze
2) Michael Lynche
3) Crystal Bowersox
4) Aaron Kelley
5) Casey James

It's happened again...

2010-05-04T08:50:00.003-05:00

Well, after just 10 months wearing the OPA (oldest person alive) crown, Japanese Kama Chinen has passed away and left the honor to a younger woman. Unfortunately, she missed her big 115th birthday bash by just a few days.

RIP, Kama Chinen.

(Ms. Chinen's death hands the title of world's oldest person to Eugenie Blanchard, a 114-year-old French woman living on the Caribbean island of Guadeloupe.)

Related Posts:

OPA Passes Torch

Oldest Person Alive Dies--Again

OPA RIP

Things I don't understand.... (cont'd)

2010-05-01T12:33:00.006-05:00

#14. Why people in the movies don't have to say goodbye to someone before hanging up the phone.

p.s. is it hang up the phone, or hang the phone up?

Other things I don't understand:
#1-#3
#4-#5
#6
#7-#9
#10
#11
#12
#13

Another thing...

2010-04-30T13:59:00.001-05:00

When you're not working you get to have lunch with your best friends, stay as long as you like, and then come home and take a nap.

Don't talk to strangers

2010-04-29T14:58:00.005-05:00

Since I'm not working, I now have time to ruminate on reports like this one that says NASA has proof there's life on Mars.

Just last week genius thinker Stephen Hawking revealed that he believes aliens are among us--and they're up to no good.

This is not great news for a country that's having such a hard time protecting its 2000 mile border with Mexico.

12:22pm home

2010-04-28T12:22:00.003-05:00

Well, I've been profiled and updated and checked in and out by the Missouri Career Center. Gina advised me not to be discouraged (I'm not) and let me know I'm entitled to two years of continuing education--for free! I think I'll look into some computer classes. She also gave me leads on two more jobs I may be qualified for. All in all, a very productive morning.