Another Nine Digits

Preface:

Back in early 2002, I wrote a piece defending Bush’s decision to bomb Iraq. However, if you were to take a look at that piece, you will clearly see I was opposed to that action, but assumed that a bumbling Bush had accidentally cut off all other viable choices. Silly me. As history unfolds, it appears Bush may turn out to be the Dick Van Dyke of the White House. Do you remember how Dick used to trip over the ottoman? Every trip, bump of fall was so perfectly clumsy, it was hard to believe it was in the script.

However, having been opposed to the action, I was still among those who were repeating the mantra,”I support our troops.” And if “our troops” didn’t include those with stars on their shoulders, I likely still would.

Today:

I was listening to Imus on the radio this morning. Well, actually I was listening to Howard Stern, but he went into a long commercial set so I switched over. By the way, Ed Bradley is interviewing Howard about his move to subscription radio on 60 Minutes this Sunday. Even if you don’t care for Howard, this should be a good piece. But I digress.

Imus is bantering with a Washington reporter (sorry I didn’t catch her name) who is talking about the breaking news. Seems the Pentagon has a consultant that takes stories written by US servicemen, translates them, and plants them in Iraqi newspapers. Come to find out, the Pentagon even owns a radio station and a newspaper there. No big surprise. Certainly information is key to controlling the political environment. Our on media has been “influenced” significantly in recent years. It is a defendable strategy.

What caught me is that this Republican spin doctor has a $100 million dollar contract. Nine digits! Now, if he were really that good at covert operations, perhaps there would be justification for a significant price tag. I am sure those incidental expenses can add up. But if he were that good, how come I am hearing about him on the radio? His operation is toast.

Notice I did use the word, “Republican.” I believe it is important to point out that this job was not posted on the bulletin board. There was no bid process. The Pentagon reached for an operative within and created a line item that makes the $200 hammers look like a bargain. The administration most likely picked the operative. A Democratic administration would probably have done the same.

I am not objecting to the strategy. Although I personally feel this is a less win-able war that Viet Nam ever was – and probably less justifiable - I understand the military complex is charged with waging it. My objection is that there appears to be total disregard for cost control. These career militants have never had to make a profit. For a country so proud of its business acumen, our military is run like a teenager with a pocket full of daddy’s credit cards. But the shame is, the names on those credit cards belong to our children and our grandchildren.

The price of gas at the pump has come down a lot in the last month - but the true cost of oil has never been higher. Instead of paying at the pump, we have charged it - transferred it to the National Debt.

Over the next 20 – 30 years, literally trillions of dollars will be passed to the next generation. They are going to need it!

Sparky

Note to my kids: Don’t bother getting in that line for a share of the trillions. They are not being divided evenly – or according to need!
posted by Sparky 9:38 AM

Thursday, July 21, 2005

A few weeks back, a "stay-at-home mom" friend of many years changed direction. Some of our mutual friends didn't get it. The action and the reactions prompted my writing the following in her honor:



Armor All

High above the dirt and sweat
A castle nobly surveys the terrain
Wherein resides a perfect family
Inconvenience - their closest call to pain

Her entry two suits of armor sport
One proven worthy in battles large and small
The other finely fashioned – never tested
Dusted often – yet n’er to leave the hall.

Each day the king to battle calmly goes
Each night returns his victory banners flown
Each day the queen remembers squirish days
When she too trained for dragons yet unknown.

None of castle fair could understand
How queen could shed the weight of jewels and crowns
Slip into armor rusty from disuse
Gone now to champion unnamed towns.
posted by Sparky 5:37 PM

Friday, October 08, 2004

Florida Bigots Hide Behind Hood

The KKK was once very visible across Florida. The familiar white hood disguised the perpetrators of injustice against blacks and those who cared about their rights. We are so fortunate to have that period in our past... or do we?

The familiar white hood has given way to a much less recognized but even more feared - Glenda Hood. Appointed by Governor Bush, coincidentally brother to President Bush, Hood has gone about her role of overseeing the upcoming elections with great care - making sure that a maximum number of people, particularly blacks, will not successfully register, and if registered, will not vote.

In the 2000 election, the world focused on the hanging chads which affected a few hundred votes, while thousands were thwarted in their attempt to be counted. In Jacksonville alone, several votes were thrown out, primarily form heavily black precincts, due to a very confusing ballot that had candidates for one office on two separate pages with no attempt to call attention. If you voted on both pages, which several THOUSAND did, you vote was disqualified.

In many locations, voters would show up at the polls, only to find out they had been transferred to another, unfamiliar polling place even though they had not moved. Others had polling places moved altogether without adequate information on how to find them. May went home in disgust.

And there there were the rural panhandle counties where "random highway roadblocks" were set up to do vehicle checks - on election day - between predominantly black rural communities and their polling place.

"Wait a minute! You are talking history. Those problems have been corrected. You are just a sore looser."

Florida has converted to electronic voting machines. No longer can you cast two votes for the same office. This is an improvement. However, these machines have no paper backup. There is no way to re-examine the results. All we can do is compare the number of votes with the number of voters - which does not guarantee anything - and there is no recourse.

There are already several lawsuits in state and federal court against Glenda Hood, all with a common theme - she is doing everything within her power - and beyond - to thwart registration and to make voting more difficult. Hmmm. Seems that getting the most voters to come out and cast a vote is only one way to win a Florida election.

Now I need to back off. I do not really believe the current administration is trying to deprive black voters of their rights. Not at all. They only want to deprive black Democrats of their rights. In a state where over 80% of black voters are registered Democrats, chances are pretty good 4 out of 5 votes you deny were intended for the D column.

Take a look at Republican stronghold Duval County (Jacksonville). The Assistant Supervisor of Elections, acting for the Director who has had heart trouble, has denied every proposed accommodation. He has one polling place for early voting where most urban areas have over 10 - and that one is downtown in an area with virtually no parking, far from the neighborhoods of the voters in question. His belligerence is just one overt indication that this election is stacked. He is also disqualifying a huge number of new registrations for very minor imperfections in their completion - days after the deadline to register so they cannot be corrected.

"This is the kind of rhetoric we usually hear from losers after the election. Getting a head start?"

No, I am giving a heads up. The Republican administration in Tallahassee is aggressively working this election - tilting the playing field. Now is the time to take notice. Now is the time to point the spotlight so the honest Republicans can see what their brethren are up to.

If you have read some of my stuff, I am not enamored with the Democratic ticket. I am, however, enamored with the democratic process. If nothing changes, both will be dealt a serious blow here next month. It will not be a death blow. This is still the best system in the world. But with our help, it can get better.

Glenda Hood is not the problem. She is the hired help. We all need to take a good look at those behind the Hood. These are the ones who divide. Public service is for the common good. We all need to work for a time when the common good is principle, not a slogan. For when those responsible for conducting an election go about their business with the intention of disenfranchising one voter, they disenfranchise all of us. And it doesn't matter whether that one vote is for or against your candidate, for we are all in this system together. When we agree to abide by majority rule, that presupposes we welcome the majority to vote.

Contrary opinions sent to my email - sclark@complus.net - will be posted here.



posted by Sparky 1:43 PM

Monday, September 20, 2004

Mail Call

Recently I offered a group of friends the opportunity to ask any question about life, provided they were prepared to read the answer. I had one taker. She wrote quite the thoughtful question with several parts. Following is a slightly modified version of my response, revisited here because it addresses questions shared by many, often in silence. I begin by establishing a basic viewpoint:


Come with me to the beginning, assuming there was a beginning. That is another subject. WE are the power that is creating planet earth and other things – but for today, planet earth. WE are the creative force, which goes by many names, not material here.

So WE create a variety of interdependent plants and animals, one of which is people – either through creation or evolution – no matter. Why? Why create people? Does the world need people to exist? No. Are they an important link in the food chain? No. Do WE need them to accomplish something for US? No. WE can create anything WE want without them.

Then why this species? Does there have to be a reason? If the answer is “No,” then there is no answer for your questions. People are just another form of ant with no mission, other than to propagate and have more ants, and to nurture and defend the ants already in the colony. So let’s assume the answer is “Yes,” there is a reason.

Let’s try sport. WE create people to form into teams and compete against one another. People are like football, a spectator sport. WE are the spectator. Lame idea - unworthy of OUR creative powers. The teams are grossly uneven and don’t even play by the same rules. What purpose is there in that?

Let’s try personal competition. Let’s have a giant power grab and see who rises to the top. Why, there’s Bill Gates… and Adolph Hitler… and Julius Caesar… and George Steinbrenner… and many others. So what? Did WE create people so they could climb to the top of the people pile? Nope. It just does not measure up to the design quality WE have built into all the rest of nature.

What if WE create people with varying abilities, environments, birthright advantages, sexual orientations – WE just make them all different and let each compete to be the best he or she can possibly be. Much better plan, but incredibly unworthy or OUR attention.

But what if WE put a piece of OURSELF in each of these people so WE could observe who WE are. By placing OURSELF in countless different abilities and situations WE could see US. That would be worth doing.

Now we have a purpose, but for this to work, none of these people can totally understand what WE are about. That would change the game, so to speak. So instead, WE let them use their individual and/or collective talents to determine who they are and why they are. In the process, they will create their own games. It is reasonable to assume some; possibly most will see the games as their reason for being. They will get caught up in the games, and in fact, become the games.

But some, maybe only a few, maybe all eventually, will realize that their only purpose as people is to seek – who they are. All the rest of “the game” is their playing field – the world, the society, the monetary system, the grasping of possessions, the creature comforts – all tools for discovery. It is important none of the people have the ability to see the whole. WE are the whole, invisible and ever-present.

Now to answer her questions:

If you feel that something is missing in your life... or maybe not exactly missing, but you feel there could be more, but you are not entirely sure what it is...

You have choices. Ignore the feeling. Live with it. Seek to understand. Relax and allow yourself to be comfortable with who you are. And more – many more choices, from which you can select none or several – change when you change. The feeling is part of who you are. You can fight it or embrace it as a gift.

if you feel so many creative ideas bubbling just under the surface of your mind, but you can never get close enough to unleash them

Perhaps you may want to focus at times. You might choose one to the exclusion of others and investigate that bubble. You may use all of your life force on one bubble – or try each bubble – or any combination. You choose. Try viewing your condition as “with bubbles,” but the price of your gift is that you cannot grasp all at once. There are others who sense few bubbles – some none at all.

if certain songs bring tears to your eyes but no one seems to understand why, if poetry wakes a very special feeling inside you, but you cannot find a way to let it out

Many times, fears (and tears) are triggers. The stimulus itself is of little note. For you, it triggers a previous unresolved thought/feeling/action. Embrace the tears. Let them speak to you. Do not expect others to understand. They do not have the pieces to the puzzle. You have the pieces. When you are ready to put them together, you will. Until then, you will have the opportunity of tears.

The finding a way thing is a bit different. You “cannot find a way to let them out,” by definition. As long as you believe you cannot, you cannot. If you want to, you cannot. Wanting is the same as not doing. Once you believe you can, you can. It is that simple, but not easy. You can.

if you long to lose yourself in magical stories, only to find they are not real

People lose themselves in magical stories. It can be a peaceful place, but the price is often loss of ability to function independently. Take heart. No one else lives totally within your story. You are unique in all the universe. In that way you are lost in your own magical story. Much of that story is created solely by you. Parts are created by group thought. Still other parts were set in motion for you to interface with.

Everybody wants to run away sometimes. It is buried in your “fight or flight gene.” The feeling of wanting to “lose yourself in magical stories” is a natural avoidance of things painful in your story. Face the pain. What doesn’t kill you will make you stronger.

if you sometimes want to scream with joy because you caught a glimpse of the true wild passion of life

“The true wild passion of life” does not come to you like the lottery. It is not a win or lose. It is not the same for all. Life is not a private party with windows where you to look in but but you cannot open the door. Life is a participation sport - internal and eternal.

If you were to take a motor trip around Europe and never look outside the car, the value of the trip would be lost to you. If you were to take in all that came to view, but did not tend to the car, your trip would be cut short when the car failed. Life is a blend of internal and external. You may find the wild passion when your internal and external become as one.

but it disappears again, leaving you all empty –

The ebb and flow is the tide in all life cycles. Any elation is likely to be followed by a feeling of loss, often referred to as emptiness. You could opt for avoiding elation. You could paint your world with shades of gray, never daring to enjoy red or blue, certainly not crimson or aquamarine.

Or you might also choose to embrace "empty." Empty is the recognition that something you valued has changed. It also means you are alive to experience more passions - and more empties. There can be several of each going on at the same time, sharing space but not canceling each other out. That is why people can laugh at funerals. The sadness is not displaced by the laughter. But it can help to remember other passions while we are focused in the empty. The inability to feel empty is death.

When you reach the heights of a wild passion, enjoy it to the fullest. Pay not a moment's homage to the emptiness which may follow. When you look down, you have already stated to fall.

what do you do?

Be.

Focus when you can on discovering who you are. Embrace the pleasures and the pains of the body, but do not be the body. You have a body, but you are so much more. Trust your inner self. Do what feels right for you. You are not responsible for how others react to you, but you are responsible for how you treat yourself.

Your body is in your keeping. You can loan it for another’s pleasure, just as you can borrow another’s for your own. But no one, even in marriage is entitled to another. Even in slavery, a person has choices.

Peace is a choice. Peace is neither an action nor an in-action. It is a feeling you will know from time to time – glimpse if you will. Your human condition will lure you away. But you can choose it again… and again! Peace can be exhilarating or exhausting. Peace can be found in choices of commission or omission. But it is always in the choices.

Do not want peace. Be peace. Do not want love. Be love. Life is not a pass-fail test. There is no finish line, no final buzzer. There are no winners or losers. Life is an opportunity to discover who you are – or not.

You ask many questions. I am honored to provide the answers that work for me. However, you may find more insight from the questions you choose to ask than from the answers others offer. When you pan for gold, most is worthless rock. Keep asking questions, but also answer questions. I have clarified me answering you.

Be.

posted by Sparky 2:25 PM

Friday, September 10, 2004

Everybody's born. Everybody dies. The middle part is choices.

Everybody knows, "everybody dies." Then we go about our lives as though we were invincible. "Everybody" does not mean "everybody else." During my checkered career, I have had the opportunity to participate in starting two Hospice programs. When working with dying people, it is reasonable to project that physical pain would be the primary concern. It is important, but physical pain is the easy part. Drugs and alternative therapies are marvelous. But there is no drug for regret.

One of those far eastern religions addresses the concept that everything is already broken. Then, when we experience that breaking, we can better accept and move on. We say, "No use crying over spilled milk," but the western concept of accumulation is so interlaced with the pain of unprepared loss. Even those under the western influence who grasp the concept of stuff breaking, still have difficulty with the concept of people breaking. We are so taught that a person is defined by his body.

Once the concept of our own mortality becomes real, we can make better choices. That doesn't mean we do.

"OK, Spark. Where are you going with this?"

In my years with hospice, I learned a lot from those with short life expectancies about what is important -looking backward. The sins of commission tend to be forgivable, but we carry with us our sins of omission. It is in all the things we didn't do that we find our greatest sadness. Further, that list of things rarely includes stuff or money - its all about relationships.

'II still don't get it."

Today, we Floridians are once again in "hurricane preparation mode." Even as we go through the motions of acting calm and organized, we are worried about our stuff, even though "it is already broken." In the process we may get surly, even rude - and certainly impatient with others, even those we love most, over virtually insignificant things. Our wispy veil of calm is easily displaced - and replaced by activity, not necessarily rooted in reason.

We have choices. We can be nice to each other. We can care about and for each other. We can focus and calmly move through this, or calmly not. We can scurry around in a flash of activity, or we can do important things well and the less important possibly not at all.

Common reference talks of hurricane Ivan as "Ivan the Terrible." But he is also "Ivan the teacher." And the lesson of Ivan is not in what he does, but in how we act. Every hour has the potential to be my finest hour... and yours.

Everybody's born. Everybody dies. Everything is already broken.

Minimize sins of omission. Make care-full choices.

posted by Sparky 1:14 PM

Wednesday, September 08, 2004

Hurricanes, Elections and other Florida Disasters

So what’s new in Hurricanes? As best we know, they have been a part of the weather as long as we have been having weather. But there is something new: Information Technology. Computer models tell us, a week in advance sometimes, where these giant storms will go, how fast they will move, how fast the winds will be in relation to any particular eye at any particular moment. Of course they are wrong 99% of the time, give or take. Several different experts with several different computer simulators report their projected courses, then constantly adjust those projections based on updated data, so they all are 100% accurate in retrospect.

Ah, but give those statistics to “THE MEDIA” and we have sufficient reason for 24 hour hype, and coincidentally, 24 hour advertising. Local stations compete for the best coverage – which means the most disastrous video. Between repeating the published warnings to stay indoors, they concentrate on storm pictures sent in by staff and viewers alike who are out in the storms creating their own 15 minutes of fame.

They tell you when the police are being called in from their beats for personal safety. Hmmm. I wonder who needs that information? Could it be – the proverbial looters? And what is a looter: a common thief at an uncommon time.

But none of this is the tragedy. The tragedy is in believing the reports. Hurricane Charley was less than 50 miles from Charlotte Harbor – but the models had him going north. Over a million people moved to avoid his wrath. Most moved right into the places he chose to visit. He went northeast, catching unprepared locals and visitors alike, lulled to complacent sleep by confident storm experts and all their charts.

Following Charley three weeks later, sister Frances stayed quite close to the computer models, except for two tiny details – she was fat and she sat down, refusing to move on. Some of her least impacted areas lie within the computer-documented path of her eye, while communities hundreds of miles from her course experienced extensive damage.

Meanwhile television stations were competing for Emmies or whatever they compete for, bringing us “uninterrupted coverage.” Viewed from a distance, like say, Denver, the relentless hype could have been a bit comical. However, close up, it was more like yelling fire in a theatre. Locals, preparing as best they could for the ballyhooed smite of nature, were constantly exposed to extrapolated horrors. One sign blowing down quickly became the centerpiece for a doomsday prognosis – and if it was of sufficient viewing quality – wouldl play over and over… and over. Anyone remember the Watts Riots where the same police car burned for days and the same thugs broke the same windows? Those reporters took up meteorology.

Back to the looters - One extremely lucky cameraman caught one unlucky looter in the act. I know because I saw that footage at least 10 times on at least three different stations. Were the truth known, my guess is that crime statistics in any of the communities impacted were inversely proportional to the severity of the weather. Central Florida likely hasn’t had a day of less crime in decades. Only the least professional of our wayward brethren braved the storms to knock over their local 7 Eleven.

But there is crime – and it is on television – and it is heralded in Robin Hood-esque fashion. The great rescuers of the downtrodden enter: the Red Cross and FEMA. The Red Cross is everywhere in the media asking for our support. The cynic in me arrises when their fine print promises 10% of donations earmarked for a particular disaster will be used for that disaster. Did they learn nothing from 9-11?

But the Red Cross is amateur night compared to our federal friends, FEMA, under the direction of, of course, G. W. Now the advance hype will tell you that FEMA is going to kiss it and make it all better. Nowhere in their promising do they tell you they are here with government loans, and then only for the uninsured or severely underinsured. But under pressure, FEMA will share their plan to provide some grants to those who don’t qualify for loans and who have no insurance. Whew, I feel better.

Now lets be FEMA for a moment – if I qualify you for the loan, you owe me dearly and nearly forever. If I refuse to loan you money, I have to give it to you. Hmmm. There likely is somewhere here in Florida, a few who cannot qualify for a FEMA loan. Fortunately for FEMA, those people are too proud – or too dumb to ask for the free money.

Meanwhile, the under publicized Salvation Army is out quietly helping day and night, as they always do, giving away everything they have. Having worked for the Salvation Army – twice – I can tell you they are human, but squandering resources is not one of their weaknesses. If you send $1 for hurricane relief, $1 will go for hurricane relief. Not one penny will flow up the organization chart. In fact, local units everywhere will join with regional and national components to send manpower and other resources right out of their operating budgets to make the relief program work.

Meanwhile, G. W. is parading around like Robin Hood, “helping” millions of Floridians create more debt, knowing they won’t feel the sting until after the election! Now that is a plan even the campaign strategists could not have dreamed up. The heartland of central Florida, where G.W. would have lost in 2000 were his brother not in control of the election process, is temporarily grateful for the help that will bury them. Even those capable of repaying and balancing other commitments will be saddled with higher interest on credit cards and everything else as their credit score plummets.

Can Kerry carry Florida? For the first time since Florida hung Chad, I see the possibility that G. W. can win here in November. That, my friends, is the real Florida disaster.

While the occasional looter grabs a few bucks - and runs, G.W. steals the future from millions – and runs!

posted by Sparky 7:57 PM

Monday, August 23, 2004

Rooney Tunes

Today I received an email, which follows. My first reaction was the elicited response shared by the author of the email. “Right on!” Andy Rooney is a world-class commentator. His editorials are sharp, sometimes caustic, and well thought through. His string of sound bite statements have such a compelling momentum. Hitler was good at that.

Once given distance from the impact of his style and clarity, I find myself at odds with this cartoon-ish approach to complex issues. Enjoy the following. I’ll be back!


Right on, Andy Rooney! Andy Rooney said on 60 minutes a few weeks back: (for those of you that don't know Andy Rooney, he is an 82 year old US TV commentator)

I don't think being a minority makes you a victim of anything except numbers. The only things I can think of that are truly discriminatory are things like the United Negro College Fund, Jet Magazine, Black Entertainment Television, and Miss Black America. Try to have things like the United Caucasian College Fund, Cloud Magazine, White Entertainment Television, or Miss White America; and see what happens. Jesse Jackson will be knocking down your door. Guns do not make you a killer. I think killing makes you a killer. You can kill someone with a baseball bat or a car, but no one is trying to ban you from driving to the ball game.I believe they are called the Boy Scouts for a reason, that is why there are no girls allowed. Girls belong in the Girl Scouts! ARE YOU LISTENING MARTHA BURKE?I think that if you feel homosexuality is wrong, it is not a phobia, it is an opinion.I have the right "NOT" to be tolerant of others because they are different, weird, or tick me off.When 70% of the people who get arrested are black, in cities where 70% of the population is black, that is not racial profiling, it is the Law of Probability.I believe that if you are selling me a milk shake, a pack of cigarettes, a newspaper or a hotel room, you must do it in English! As a matter of fact, if you want to be an American citizen, you should have to speak English!My father and grandfather didn't die in vain so you can leave the countries you were born in to come over and disrespect ours. I think the police should have every right to shoot your sorry self if you threaten them after they tell you to stop. If you can't understand the word "freeze" or "stop" in English, see the above lines.I don't think just because you were not born in this country, you are qualified for any special loan programs, government sponsored bank loans or tax breaks, etc., so you can open a hotel, coffee shop, trinket store, or any other business.We did not go to the aid of certain foreign countries and risk our lives in wars to defend their freedoms, so that decades later they could come over here and tell us our constitution is a living document; and open to their interpretations.I don't hate the rich. I don't pity the poor I know pro wrestling is fake, but so are movies and television. That doesn't stop you from watching them.I think Bill Gates has every right to keep every penny he made and continue to make more. If it ticks you off, go and invent the next operating system that's better, and put your name on the building. Ask your buddy that invented the Internet to help you. (Al)It doesn't take a whole village to raise a child right, but it does take a parent to stand up to the kid; and smack their little behinds when necessary, and say "NO!"I think tattoos and piercing are fine if you want them, but please don't pretend they are a political statement. And, please, stay home until that new lip ring heals. I don't want to look at your ugly infected mouth as you serve me French fries!I am sick of "Political Correctness." I know a lot of black people, and not a single one of them was born in Africa; so how can they be "African-Americans"? Besides, Africa is a continent. I don't go around saying I am a European-American because my great, great, great, great, great, great grandfather was from Europe. I am proud to be from America and nowhere else.And if you don't like my point of view, tough. DON'T PASS IT ON!!



Fascinating! Excellent craftsmanship!

Unfortunately, Andy, you have taken the simplistic road. Of course there should be no need for a United Negro College Fund, or a Miss Black America contest. Perhaps you live in a community where all children have the same opportunities, but the history of our country speaks otherwise. There is no balance in your protest.

No other immigrant group had the pleasure of slavery to mutilate its cultural roots. The organizations you redicule may have fallen short of their noble purposes, but were they not created to provide the bootstraps Rooney-esque thinkers believe we can all pull ourselves up by? Come on, Andy. Jet magazine grew out of a vacuum. Black success stories remained silent and black society was never in danger of making the local papers – virtually anywhere, not just in the common focal point, the Deep South [which is another myth, but I digress.]

I want to come back, but let’s jump ahead. Your comment on 70% arrested are black in a 70% black community totally avoids the arrest problem. Here in Florida for example, over half of the prison inmates are of the black persuasion, over double the ratio you cite. And the sad thing is that the Andys of this country are contributing to the problem. The Law of Probability says that you do not nor would you live in an area where you were a minority. You just stand back and point. there are real problems and real reasons why arrest patterns are as they are.

Guns! Guns make little people feel big. Guns change the balance of power. Guns allow the minority to illicit fear in the majority. Guns permit cowards to become killers. Guns make our streets unsafe. Guns turn concerned community citizens into hermits. Guns destroy community, not because they are “bad” inventions, but because you, Andy, and your friends in thought are unwilling to control whose hands hold these guns.

Boy Scouts. I was a Boy Scout. I worked for the Boy Scouts. Andy, the Boy Scouts of the 1950’s are a vestige of your memory. Sociaty has changed. Scouting has changed. It has urbanized and refocused. The programs for older scouts are increasingly career oriented. Most scouts, boy or girl, have never spent one night in a tent in the woods, built a campfire or dug a latrine. Get over it. Most of what scouts do today can be done just fine in mixed company.

But there is a bigger problem, Andy. Your generation, and then mine, sat by and watched the collapse of the school experience as a developer of socialization skills. “Values” education has been stripped from the hands of our educators, much like a fumbled football, except that no one is jumping on the loose ball. Scouting still teaches values, but with lessons that could be so much more beneficial if they were learned in mixed company by more kids – both of which would happen if you let them all in. Our boys grow up knowing exactly how to go hunting or fishing with the guys, but increasingly settle their inter-gender differences with violence. Do you suppose structured hetero-activity during a formative time with quality adult leadership who have the potential to command appropriate behavior could lead to better inter-gender relationships?

There is so much more, but let’s wrap this up with English. Of course, all of us English speaking people favor one language. It even makes sense, BUT it takes preferential treatment to offer quality programs – and preferential programs are something you stand strongly against. We expect kids from wherever to enter our schools, compete successfully on standardized tests, learn all the lessons AND become proficient in English while the other two-thirds of their day is conducted in another language. Yes, we would love to have “one language, under God.” It is so simple to wish it so. It is so difficult to make it so.
A playing field looks so much more level when you are the one with the advantage. Mr. Rooney, your cartoon approach to major problems is entertaining. Your points of view are simple and succinct – and without realistic potential. Thanks to your Rooney Tunes for this entertaining respite from reality.

posted by Sparky 2:17 PM

Tuesday, August 17, 2004

Gimmie that ole time religion!

Approximately 380,000 residents of Pinellas County, Florida (St Petersburg, Clearwater) choked the three evacuation routes Thursday and Friday in preparation for Hurricane Charley. The communities up and down the barrier island beaches went dark as Progress Energy shut down some of it's shoreline generating capacity in anticipation of a storm surge, projected between 5 and 15 feet.

Charley stayed true to form, powering through the Caribbean, then turning Northward on cue, cutting across Cuba and staying within feet of his computer-projected path, drawing a direct bead on Tampa Bay. Local television programming gave way to 24 hour weather as remaining residents gathered around televisions... when they weren't out scavenging water, batteries, plywood and non-perishable items. Tampa Bay had not taken a direct hit since the 30's, but there could be no doubt that it was time.

Charley had other plans. Crossing Cuba as Category 2 Hurricane, he jumped immediately to a Category 3 and continued on his anticipated encounter with the 2.4 million Tampa Bay area residents and his rendezvous with the Tampa Bay Bucs first pre-season game, slowing only slightly, to synchronize his pace with opening kick-off Friday night. Pushing due North, Charley following the course projection line on the weather map, much like the long awaited Florida Bullet Train on a shiny new rail.

Then, more like an open-field runner, he gave a little stutter step and bolted to the Northeast, cutting a new pass through North Captiva Island and breaking into the clear of Charlotte Harbor with a burst that earned him a Category 4 strength rating. Choosing not to take on the prepared Tampa Bay area, he instead pounded the unsuspecting retirement cities of Punta Gorda and Port Charlotte, raged on through Arcadia, Lake Wales and a hundred sleepy towns most have never heard of, ran over Orlando and kicked sand in the face of Daytona Beach as he exited triumphantly into the Atlantic, still a Category 1 Hurricane despite crossing hundreds of land miles. Ironically, a large percentage of the 380,000 evacuees were hunkered down in motels directly along Charley's unsuspected path.

Charley left behind a field of injured players. Over a million people lost electric service, some of whom will be yet another week in the dark. So far, 17 deaths are on his scoreboard, still with areas yet to be reached due to downed trees. Hard hit Polk County (Lakeland, Winter Haven, Bartow) was the largest producer of oranges, but probably not this year, as a large quantity if un-ripened fruit lays strewn across the countryside, in some places still attached to the trees that were no match for his sustained winds and tornadoes. Insurance companies, FIMA and individual resources will share his rumored $11 billion signing bonus.

The Central Florida Chamber of Commerce has been busy with damage repair of its own, fighting feverishly to play down the destruction at the Orlando Airport and surrounding region, in an attempt to salvage what is left of a normally great international tourist month. A community normally clamoring for media attention is suddenly reclusive.

Most of those evacuated have limped back into paradise, a totally unscathed Pinellas County, where there is almost business as usual... almost because the people have changed. Seeing the devastation 80 miles South has certainly brought religion to those previously storm agnostic. Residents are everywhere building little alters to the storm gods in the form of trucks filled with sacrificial water and other post-storm supplies, bound for our less fortunate neighbors an hour and a half down I-75. Supplies are sent on their way with prayers, silently hoping these offerings will somehow protect us from our neighbors' fates.

posted by Sparky 10:13 AM

Friday, August 06, 2004

Election 2004

I recently watched a rerun of a West Wing episode. I admit I am only recently acquainted with West Wing, thanks to the marvel of recording technology. Anyway, you may have seen it. It is the episode of the mid-term election. With all the efforts of the White House and millions of dollars, the net result in the congressional seats up of challenge was no change. In this episode, Toby is possessed with hate groups, and frustrated by the White House's inability to do something about them.

As the staff gather late at night to share a beer, the episode ends with a toast by Toby, "God Bless America." At the height of their frustration, these characters were able to see that we still have much to appreciate.

Perhaps when all the name-calling and the ballot recounting is behind us, we will once again be able to focus on what is good. Perhaps. In the interim, we are in for what is building up to be the nastiest Presidential campaign ever.

Just this morning, John McCain is on the front page of our paper asking the Bush leadership (his own group) to condemn an add about to run in some states, basically calling John Kerry a fraud and his military record a contrived sham. The campaign leadership declined to do so. Why?

That's a big question. Why? Could it be because they cannot beat him on the issues? Could it be because they believe it is true? Sadly, no. It is because it works.

"You gotta be kidding me! You are just crying because your guy is under attack. They would not run an ad like that if there were no truth to it. I didn't see your article when Michael Moore's movie came out. Could it be the shoe was on the other foot?"

Let me clarify. I am a registered Democrat. I see a need for basic health care for all, for quality public education and for special programs to help those who are unable to take care of themselves due to physical and/or mental difficulties. But I am a 60s Democrat. John Kerry is far from ideal in my book.

John and George are virtually the same in my mind, and I contend, in the minds of many, perhaps even the majority of eligible voters. I have some convergence with both, more so than they do each other. But I support John Kerry for one over-riding reason: we have and will maintain a Republican Congress. With a Republican Congress, America needs a Democrat White House for balance. Just as we see on West Wing, the balance is where we are truly represented. It is where positions are moderated.

"You have gone far a field this time, buddy. Show me how you are going to put this all together."

American politics, an animal like no other, has evolved (mutated if you will) into 30 second attacks. The issues, as important as they are, don't sell, won't sell, can't sell. There are too many issues, any one of which is too complex to present in a television commercial. And those commercials are not out there preaching to the choir. Those already committed one way or the other based on issues are not going to be swayed. It is the undecided that determine elections, and yes, they really exist.

But before you start thinking this is a small group, think again. True, there are a few who plan to vote but haven't decided who to vote for. But there is a huge group, probably a majority of registered voters, who on August 6th, 2004, are not internally committed to vote in November. Some of those already have a bias toward one candidate or the other, but are not sufficiently interested or do not feel significant and may not vote. Then there is another group who do not feel good about either guy and don't care. And then there is yet another group who, for whatever reason, drift up to election day not giving much thought at all to the whole process, some of whom still will vote because a friend showed up at work with an "I voted" sticker, because a buddy made a crack at the bar last night, or for some other equally random reason.

It is those undecideds who will determine the outcome of this election - with their votes or with their absence at the voting booth. It is these people the pollsters and advisors tell us will be swayed by a personal attack. They won't be evaluating which candidate has the better plan for Medicare drug coverage. They do not understand the impact of a tax cut on the economy. They cannot be expected to sort out which one will be better for them personally or for the country. The candidate's image will get him elected - or not. The people who will choose the next President are under-educated on the issues and under-informed on the actual duties and powers of the Presidency - as are we all.

But their votes count one time... just like yours... just like mine. And out of this chaotic voting system arises the best place there has ever been to raise your children and to follow your dreams. As flawed as it is, the United States is, in 2004, truly the land of opportunity. As great as it is for those who succeed, it is also a great place to fail ? or to end up in the middle. With all of its problems, it is the best, and it has the potential to get even better.

On this one, I'm with Toby. "God Bless America!"

posted by Sparky 4:12 PM

Friday, December 05, 2003

Interlude

I interrupt my normal political programming for an important message:

Grandkids!

I could stop right there - but I won't!

Last night I could not have been more proud. I invited Maritza (14) to sell raffle tickets at Tampa BayWatch's 10th Anniversary Party. She was the party! In the process of selling a ton of tickets, she endeared herself to everyone. As she captured their attention with her engaging smile, she gracefully slid into their hearts and their wallets, extracting an endless parade of smiles and twenties.

Some regret the maturing of their children... and especially their grandchildren - because of what they perceive it says about them. I am proud that my kids are more successful than I, and even more delighted to see the next generation emerging for their day at the fair.

It would be a bold-faced lie to say that I am ready to roll over. I am however, content in the knowledge that, watching the blossoming of my grandchildren, I have seen the future - and it is good!
posted by Sparky 4:57 PM

Wednesday, August 13, 2003

People I cannot stand, and why I stand behind them

What to Hillary Clinton and Kobe Bryant have in common? Hmmmm. Well, for one thing, my support.

I don’t like Hillary Clinton. I find her a political opportunist from a long way back, reaching a peak as a carpetbagger Senator representing my old home state, New York. She has never appeared to me to be sincere, gracious,, or even friendly. She certainly isn’t on my list of would be friends. But…America needs, and Hillary can deliver… a moderate voice in the White House. At this point, she is the only electable moderate voice on the horizon – unless Arnold decides to run for President. Is she my first choice? Not by a country mile, but my first choices don’t command the vote.

In my old age I have chosen to allow a touch of pragmatism to seep in – and with it came preferring to elect a mediocre moderate President than a contemptuous conservative one. Polarization is fine for ice caps, but it is tearing at the fiber of our union. I am truly sorry that Hillary is the only alternative on the horizon, but I support her candidacy as currently the only viable alternative.

“So what,” you may ask, “does Hillary’s insurgency for President have to do with Kobe’s insurgency for personal gratification?”

Let’s be clear. Kobe Bryant is a superstar on the basketball court. Off the court, he displays the arrogance often found among the nouveaux riche. He splashes his way around, showing little concern for others. He chose to marry and he chooses not to honor that contract. He is a horrid role model, which doesn’t seem to faze him in the least. In short, I am not inviting him over any time soon.

However, just because he is a jerk does not mean he should fall victim to a legal battle of such circumstances. His reputation for being a jerk is not unknown. The young lady in question knew who he was, knew it was late at night and knew she was venturing into a potentially sexual situation - willingly. Any post-pubescent boy or girl could tell you what the possibilities were once that door was closed.

Come on! She went to his room prepared for a sexual encounter. It may or may not have coincided with whatever fantasy she took with her. The same could be said for him. But the reason there is a legal case today is because of who was behind that door - not because of what went on there.

Justice cannot be served. From the privacy of a bedroom both chose to share come two conflicting stories – two stories that would never have been even heard had it not been for his visibility – and wealth. The scales of justice were not used in weighing the relative merits of pursuing this case.

Was the girl raped? Possibly. Was she any match for this huge athlete in his prime? Not a chance. If she said “no,” is he obligated to stop? Unquestionably. But she is obligated to say “no” before – not after – and certainly not days after.

Baring a recording or an ear witness,the situation remains his word against hers. His word deserves no special weight – but neither does hers. Our freedom is protected by a legal system designed to place the burden of proof on the accuser. This case thus far does not carry that burden.

So, I support Kobe and Hillary, because our way of life is best preserved through their prevailing in their separate battles. Will they be better people if they win? I fear not – but we will.

posted by Sparky 5:00 PM

Friday, February 21, 2003

On the Map

What do you have to do to get recognition for your community? Host a Super Bowl? Been there! Twice! Win a Super Bowl? Been there too. Bring in cruise ships? Rebuild downtown nightlife? Buy millions in travel advertising? Done all those. Still, most Americans would have great difficulty identifying Tampa Bay on their Rand-McNally.

Finally, we have made the big time! Thanks to the actions of an esteemed University of South Florida professor, all eyes are on Tampa Bay. Seems said professor, Sami Al-Arian, has been singled out by Homeland Security as THE head of terrorist activity in America. OK, they used other words – Palestinian Islamic Jihad, but that’s how it comes across on the national news and in most of the country’s newspapers.

Now that does not mean they get it right. No, ambitious reporters, short of research staff apparently, still thing The University of South Florida is in South Florida. Oh well. They can’t all get it right. But most have figured out that our own USF has been and still is the focal point of domestic Islamic terrorist activity.

Sami has done what the PR gurus and millions a year have been unable to do. Thanks to him, everyone, well with the possible exception of those who watch the Osbornes on television, knows where we are. Tampa Bay has made the big time!

Perhaps we need another parade! That’s it! Drag out the recently refurbished Gasparilla floats. Bring out the high school bands. We finally have an international celebrity in our midst. Well, in our midst may be a stretch, as he is currently the houseguest of Uncle Sam, but no matter. The national media have focused here. Over the next several weeks, Tampa Bay will be receiving more attention than years of advertising and activity could muster. What to take any bets that Presidential hopeful, Senator Bob Graham is winging his way Tampa in hopes of being tied to the bust in the minds of American voters? If not, he needs a new campaign manager!

Wait a bombthreat minute! This is no cause for celebration. This is awful. You are a little twisted on this one!

Oh, really? For centuries, we Americans have marked our geography this way. Boston – Tea Party. Chicago – Al Capone. Los Angeles – Watts Riots or Rodney King. New York – Twin Towers collapse. Tampa – Islamic Terrorists. Gettysburg – bloody battlefield. Dallas – Kennedy shot. Kansas City – where is Kansas City? Or Phoenix, Portland, Boise, Cleveland, Pittsburgh,
Raleigh, Green Bay? Even Atlanta is a mystery to the majority.

Al-Arian's value as a map marker is enhanced even more by his ongoing battle with USF. As a tenured professor, he has lived over two years on paid leave while the administration fights for the right to fire him, stongly opposed at every turn by the faculty union leadership. This makes great spin-off news when the terrorist thing is quiet. Meanwhile, his $67,500 salary continues to flow, potentially to fund more suicide bombers. Thank you, USF. This is a small price to pay for the column inches it will generate.

Even our weather got a media boost. References to Sami's arrest on a nearly 80 degree cloudless day cemented the image of Tampa Bay in the minds of frostbit northerners digging out of the season's heaviest snowfall. No matter that he got arrected in the pre-dawn hours.

History book authors take note. We prefer to be called Tampa Bay – home of famed terrorist Sami Al-Arian, and, by the way, a pretty decent tourist destination.

posted by Sparky 10:56 AM

Friday, January 31, 2003

Hemmingway, Mailer & Me

Currently, I am reading “To Have and Have Not,” one of what I assume to be Hemmingway’s lesser works, as it is rarely mentioned when his name come up. Ernie has a confident grace in his simplistic chronological presentation of a hapless charter boat captain. I can picture him sitting at Sloppy Joe’s telling this story, speaking to whomever happened to listen. In his tone – a very subtle attitude: ” I am going to tell this story because I want to. I’ ll include whatever strikes my fancy, as I am telling it first of all for my own amusement. If you care to listen, fine. If not, it makes no difference to me.” He is comfortable with his talent and just kinda lays it out there for us to appreciate – or not.

Norman Mailer is a Hemmingway-esque icon with one slight difference. He lives. Today, on his eightieth birthday, he tells the tale of his writing career in a style not dissimilar to Hemmingway at Sloppu Joe's. In a recent interview he offered, “The only fun in working images is that, as you elaborate on them, they always turn out either better or worse than you had hoped. The alternative is to say the same thing you’ve been saying over and over.” Clearly, he writes for an audience of one... and others if they care to read. No matter.

OK, I can see the connection between Mailer and Hemmingway, but where do you fit in?

I, like Mailer and Hemmingway, write primarily to please me. Oh, to be sure, I would be delighted to have my work on the best seller lists, but the motivator remains personal enjoyment. If you care to hear my stories, fine. I am sometimes disalppointed, but occasionally fascinated by the stories as they unfold. It is the potential of an occasional tear, or a rush of adrenaline, or a warm fuzzy that arises as I write that pushes me back to the keyboard again and again.

A published friend of mine writes her books in their entirety before sharing them with a publisher or , as of late, agent. Then she submits an outline. “Too may could be wonderful books go to press mediocre because they are written under pressure.”

If you were in a position to retire, would you write full time?

No. I would, set sail aboard “Second Wind” for ports immaterial. But you can be sure I would have a laptop at the helm, and dead air would be a welcome visitor.


posted by Sparky 1:24 PM

Tuesday, January 21, 2003

Movin' On!

Old Dad has done it again. Moved that is. We have gone and bought what will some day be a 1972 36' Guflstar motorsailor. That is to say, we bought a TRASHED Gulfstar.

How trashed?

Remember when you were a kid and you set out to build a backyard fort? This dream structure turned out to be a collection of nails surrounded by whatever could be scrounged in the neighborhood. Well, that is a reasonable comparable to the structure a previous owner used to cover the center cockpit.

In keeping with the exterior decor, The salon reveals an apartment size gas range flanked by a chest freezer. In order to free up space for these enhancements, two thirds of the forward head was cut away - two-thirds mind you. That left the sink amd pieces of the bulkhead with the bathroom white panels. The dining booth is sandwiched between the bulkhead to the engineroom and the mini-closed - almost big enough in any direction to accommodate a hanger and tall enough for shorts.

The aft birth yells "work in progress." the half built nav. station replaces the the half dismantled guest quarters. The forward V-berth is in pretty good shape, with an excellent view of the anchor locker, as the doors to the locker need attention.

In fact, the overall look is that of This Old House - the "before" pictures.

So why did you buy what could kindly be called a "project boat?"

Because it was there? Actually, this sweetheart of a boat, which we have affectionately named, "Second Wind," has all the right features: Big inside, floats (heavy fiberglass), restorable low hours engine, CHEAP. In sailable, saleable condition, this year and model goes in the mid-thirty thousand range. Having invested slightly over 10% of her future value, we can make major revisions and still be rightside up when it is time to sell. Those of you who know Nancy, know she would have wanted to redo everything anyway. With "Second Wind," its not an option!

There isn't much of the interior for which the word "restore" generates anything but chuckles. We will be designing and building an interior. However, the topside (once the shack is gone) needs few repairs other that paint and teakwork. The main is missing, but the mast and roller boom are in good shape, as is the roller furling jib. She'll need a nose job, as someone has liberated her bow sprit, and eventually the hatches will want replacing. OK, the cockpit wiring is screwed up and she needs cushions, bimini, dodger and more to make her presentable, but that's the fun part! And to think, when the guys got me a comercial sewing machine for Christmas, they thought it was to fix up their boats!

By the way, we also moved to a condo next to the marina. I figure I will save literally weeks in travel time over the next few months.

If you have an urge to go sailing, I suggest you volunteer to crew for Russ aboard "Shaman" or Bob on "Hale Kai." "Second Wind" will be indisposed during her make-over. But next year, there will be some serious cruising going on!


posted by Sparky 1:58 PM

Wednesday, October 30, 2002

Political Unrest

Do you remember your mother teaching you, "If you can't say something nice about somebody, don't say anything?" Is it just me, or are you too frazzled by the barrage of political announcements that make out certain candidates to be less than human? Many of these are so negative the the candidate running the commercial doesn't even identify himself.

"Oh, no. Those are not run by the candidate. They are run by independent community organizations."

Yeah, right.

Now I know the reason these ads are run is because they work. It may be the only way to let the voting polulation know what the opponent is for or against, who funds her campaign, and how many constituents he has raped and pillaged. Problem is, many of these ads have distorted the truth beyond any posible recognition.

When your candidate is lambasted, you sit in your living room crying foul, but are you crying foul when your favorite son is taking cheap shots at the challenger? Each year the claims get more outrageous. It seems like the person who can lie loudest and best, wins.

This year, Florida's incumbant governor, Jeb Bush started with a substantial lead. However, Bill McBride has made a close race out of it. Because it appears so close, Jeb's brother is stumping this weekend here in Tampa Bay. He has been here before, as has his wife, his mother and his father. Fine. No problem. That's using positive advantages. But yesterday I saw a 30 second news clip on Bay News 9 (cable news) that ran every hour all evening, so I got a chance to look at what he was saying. In the thirty seconds, of "news" he took four shots at McBride. One of those shots was saying McBride was spending just as much as he was on this campaign. FOUL! Bush has the largest election till in state history, in addition to which he has Air Force One and occupant helping out little brother while he happens to be in town. This is a classic matchup with big money interests vs. the people - and the edge goes with the money.

"Breath easy old man. In a few days it will be over."

That's where you are wrong. The people have been so bombarded with garbage about all the candidates, the confidence in our leadership - in Tallahassee and in Washington - is weakened, if not totally broken. When you see outbursts of political unrest, it would be folly to believe these are isolated situations. A large portion of the population distrust the word of their representatives. That segment is getting larger and more frustrated.

There is a revolution brewing which cuts across party lines. I believe, at least in Florida, there is room for an honest politician to run and win on a "positive principles" platform. There are enough of us so sick of the slimy characters we have to choose from that we would elect a person of character, regardless of party affiliation.

Unfortunately, this political unrest carries over to government employees. Those who face the front line lack of respect are the police and firefighters. Look for more conflicts to break out - but the roots of those conflicts grow deep, fertilized very well this time of year.

We are headed into winter, the dormant period - but with the thaw of Spring there will come internal strife. I wish it otherwise, but I believe increased outlash is coming - against our elected officials, their laws and their representatives within easy reach.


posted by Sparky 3:43 PM

Tuesday, October 08, 2002

Health vs. Hardware

A majority of Americans say that the nation's economy is in its worst shape in nearly a decade and that President Bush and Congressional leaders are spending too much time talking about Iraq while neglecting problems at home, according to the latest New York Times/CBS News poll.

The poll found signs of economic distress that cut across party and geographic lines. Nearly half of all Americans are worried that they or someone in their household will be out of a job within a year. NYTIMES 10/07/02


Who cares about the economy? The obvious answer is “everybody.” As per usual, the obvious answer is also wrong. As much as political and media leaders would like us to believe otherwise, most of us are very provincial. If I am getting paid and my friends are not out of work, life is pretty good. The stock market can do whatever. It is of little consequence to the majority who have no investments in the market.

“Well then old man, if it isn’t the economy, what is it that underlies the general feeling of non-prosperity?”

Wonderful question! The answer is primary healthcare. The biggest downside risk to any non-megabucks family is major illness. It is the keenly honed double-edged blade that cuts into the family assets and the family income with one clean swipe. Today, fewer workers have healthcare coverage than at any time since the post-WWII boom. Many of those who have coverage will be quick to tell you that their co-pay is higher and their coverage is lower than in years past.

Unemployment, once the biggest economic downside risk, moved down on the list to make room for health crisis as the biggest financial worry Americans face today. One family member’s trip to the hospital can wipe out all the family gains for the year, sometimes many years.

“Why then, do we not see more politicians waving the healthcare banner?”

President Bill Clinton championed a healthcare safety net. President Clinton narrowly avoided impeachment. Since his public whipping, politicians avoid the healthcare crisis if they seriously seek election. The reason is simple. The problem is too enormous to address without seriously restructuring the national economic system. The tax structure would have to change.
I have already talked about the brilliant maneuvering in Congress, which allowed both sides of the isle to vote for Medicare prescription coverage without it passing. The one area where both parties agree is that the true cost of healthcare is staggering.

“Well, if the government doesn’t pay and private insurance doesn’t pay, and the individual cannot afford to pay, who does?”

Some healthcare crises go unanswered. People die. Others are passed on to the next generation or absorbed by all of us. The next generation pays with their non-forthcoming inheritance. The “family farm” is traded for healthcare. What is not covered is passed along to the bankruptcy courts or absolved at death. Either way, that bad debt is booked as a business expense and converted into higher prices for those still paying.

“Let’s go back to the premise that Americans are concerned about the economy. What about that?”

Americans are concerned about their ability to provide for themselves and their families. Even though there is no finite supply of resources, the ability of the individual to access those resources and to protect themselves from catastrophic loss of these resources is tougher today than for at least two previous generations. If that is what you call the economy, fine. But the government and the media seem to believe the economy reflects the finances of industry and the stock market. Both of those can be healthy while the people lose their family farms.

Before you ask, the answer is reform. Limit the tort system to manage physician liability settlements. Then manage rates through a regionally adjusted Medicare schedule, which will apply to all patients. Since 70% of health care dollars flow through seniors, this is realistic. Offer tax advantages to employers who provide healthcare benefits, Reduce the risk to insurance companies through government supervised reinsurance pools.

Once the healthcare package is on the mend, increase military spending. We are going to spend the money either intimidating advocaries or fighting brush wars. I prefer intimidation. It is hard to carry a big stick when you don’t have one. Portray us with a big brother’s conviction in the world market. Give the President a big enough saber to rattle that worldwide terrorism will have serious consequences. Then call bluffs.

“So… what is the price tag for all this spending?”

Virtually nothing. A revitalized economy will produce the tax dollars necessary to pay for most of these changes. Trim a few social programs and – bingo – a balanced budget. Increase deductibility of philanthropy and require better documentation. Philanthropy will increase more than enough to cover reduced federal programs.

“If this is so simple, why don’t we already have it?”

Territorialism. Liberals want to provide healthcare with decreased military spending. Conservatives want to buy military might with healthcare dollars. The country needs both. When we have the prospect of retaining the family farm, we are much more inclined to protect it.

One more piece. At least for the near term, we need to capture more tax dollars from those who have them – the mega-income residents; movie stars, sports figures and corporate executives who receive $1 million or more in salary and benefits. Tax deferred income in the current year, with a recapture provision for non-payment. The impact on the treasury will pale in comparison to the lift in nationalism. America will once again be the land of the free and the home of the brave – freed from the fear of health care costs and brave with the courage of adequate military muscle to protect that freedom.

posted by Sparky 4:06 PM

Thursday, September 12, 2002

These Colors Don't Run!

Well, we all tuned in. The day that replaced Veterans' Day, Memorial Day and the 4th of July, September 11, 2002 is now television history.

You mean 2001, don't you?

Well... no. Nine-Eleven, as we have come to call it, remains a national tragedy, and a galvanizing force in America. Yesterday yielded a television producer's dream. From the archive's came the most beautiful clips of tragedy, expertly sliced and diced, some even set to music. We watched more blends and fades than the average producer incorporates in a month of programming. The close of one of these art shows focused down on a little girl, probably about three. The announcer, in somber tone, tells us this little one sums it up best. Then we zoomed in as she said, "Sad. It's very sad."

NO!!! That three year old cannot possibly come to that conclusion. She's three! If her whole family had been wiped out last year, we could understand her saying, "I'm cold," or "I'm thirsty," or "Pick me up!" This is a child actor, granted, probably an amateur. She delivered her carefully scripted line, a closing cameo for a national broadcast finale. I hope some family member captured her debut.
For me, this anonymous little girl summed up the entire day of telecasts; the world's finest and longest editorial competition. We subjected ourselves to a day of Pulitzer Prizes waiting to happen. "Sad. It's very sad."

The 20,000 people who stood out on Bayshore Boulevard in Tampa in the driving rain holding flags...and each other - cheering the jet fighters as they flew over, cheering the fire fighters as they marched by - these people understood. The families holding up pictures of those they lost last year - these people understood. For them, yesterday was a holiday, a day of resolution, an expression of mutual support. In a celebration transcending its participants, thousands shared a memory for a lifetime. Fortunately for them, they experienced a day unedited, unscripted, real.

Nine Eleven will show up as a watershed day in American History, a magical moment in time. Yesterday yielded a remake of American Idol on a grander scale, Americans casting their ballots with their remotes instead of their mice. Are the networks committed to a sequel? Yes. The ratings command it. "Sad. It's very sad."

"These colors don't run," but the videos will - over... and over... and over.

posted by Sparky 9:56 AM

Tuesday, September 10, 2002

Holliday or Hollicost

Tomorrow marks a very special day in American History. It could mark two. Here we teeter on the brink of attacking Iraq, this time basically alone. On this occasion, I write a note that is very unsettling, especially to me.

America Right or Wrong

It is absolutely unrealistic for the "average American" to know what is going on in Iraq. Our government tells us they are building weapons of mass destruction. Our government tells us they are scouring the world to buy atomic bomb components. Is it the truth? Probably so.

World War II was well underway. President Roosevelt, was being pressured into bringing the US into the war. He made speeches and attempted to affect change. When the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor, the time for talk was over.

Back in the 60's, then President Kennedy faced Missile installations in Cuba. He set up the embargo and turned back Russian ships. No shots were fired, but it is the same saber rattling we are hearing today. When one rattles one must be prepared to follow through. Plunging us into a war at that point would have been awful, but not as bad as if we had waited for the missile installations to be completed.

Today, as we rattle, we bring worldwide attention to the events presumably happening in Iraq. But we have drawn the line in the sand. That government is not going to be permitted to proceed in the direction of assembling nuclear weapons. The rattle is loud... and so far ignored. This can only lead to violence.

As a peace freak, I will be the first to say that war sucks. However, war is inevitable if Iraq will not change course. Is our course a popular one? No. Do we want to place troops at risk? Of course not. But the President, who I voted against, is in the position with maximum information and the backing of the people to make a decision.

Absent change in actions in Iraq, we will act forcefully. It's the American Way. Could it be that we, the public are misinformed? Possibly. But chances are, with today's technology and access to intelligence, we are getting it from different sources. We are fast approaching our last resort, hopefully while we still have resorts scattered along the beaches and elsewhere.

Wait? For what? Until a daycare in DesMoines gets nerve gassed? Until Ohio is considered the Northeast? I think not. Waiting carries with it more risk than attacking. As a non-violent person, it pains me to say, given the available information, it's time!


posted by Sparky 2:16 PM

Friday, August 30, 2002

Happy Holidays?

Following are two recent poems. One is in keeping with the season. The other is in response to a quote shared with me by a writer/friend The quote was not unlike a gauntlet, which I hath nobly taken up!

"Poets have been mysteriously silent on the subject of cheese."
-- G. K. Chesterton

Before we cut to the cheese, a thoughtful reflection:


Labor Day /Day Labor

Ders sumpin dat I gotsta says
bout dese friggin holly daze.

Youse guys dat sits in fancy clothes
gittin paid ta pick yur nose

and shuffle stuff from stack to stack
doin nut'n till boss come back

while us dat busts our butts outside
gots no place dat we can hide

and when da pay boss cums around
we’d best got shovels in da ground,

taks a minit if yas can
to think kindly on da man

dat digs and sweats hard every day
ta earn da cash dats in yo pay.

Spose we asks fer paid daze too.
Boss say “Whatsa matta you!”

“I pays you fer de daze ya werks
Don’t like? Ders a line a jerks

who’ll werk dis hard fer half da pay.”
“OK, boss, whate’er you say.”

So when dem holly daze come sup
wes gets no pay, jest sucks it up

cuz dems of us dat werks ta eat
don’t find daze off as sucha treat.

Cheesy Cheese

Of all the cheeses
the cheesiest is
that yellow gunk
they call Cheese Whiz.

Convenient to store
it'll last forever.
Often requested?
Virtually never!

Artificial everything,
that's their plan-
there's not much real
except the can.

It has no zing
it has no bite
but a clear first choice
for a tough food fight.

In four thousand two
digging through our junk
archeologists find
these cans of gunk.

Their museums all
will proudly display:
cheese -don't cut,
don't spread, just spray!

Why then in sales
is Cheese Whiz king?
Chalk it up
to marketing!




posted by Sparky 3:13 PM

Oops!

A little item in the New York Times today talks of the coming release of the fine by the World Trade Organization against, of all people, us! A mere $4 billion! The US has already pled guilty to unfair international trade practices, but thaought a billion would be a more appropriate fine for this infraction.

Seems a couple years ago, we past a law giving corporations the ability to avoid certain taxes on exported goods. I didn't hear about that law. Chances are, you didn't either. What it does is effectively let US corporations compete in foreign markets, matching their untaxed goods against locally produced taxed goods. Duh! Like nobody was going to notice? During the approximately two years before the law was replaced this summer, American companies saved an estimated $4.7 billion in taxes.

Let me see.... hmmm... If companies save $4.7 billion and the government pays $4 billion, that means that on average, the individual American taxpayer just got screwed! Correct me if I'm wrong, but not only did our collective tax income take a hit, but we also picked up an additional minor expense. Does this sound like a plan to help big business at the expense of the individual? You decide. Looks like an "Oops" to me.

Meanwhile, in Detroit, a judge threw out a sexual harrassment charge against Ford Motor Company. The company claimed, and the judge agreed, that leaking information that the individual in question had been convicted on previous sexual harrassment charges somehow made it impossible to seat a jury to try this case. Hmmm. That's a new one. Can't be tried if the general public has reason to believe you are guilty.

Coincidentally, the judge declined the plantiff's request for him to step aside because his campaign manager was from the same law firm that was representing Ford in this case. Do you see any problem with this scenerio? Could be another "Oops!"

In "unrelated news," right here in Tampa Bay, a judge, who was out of town at a conference (meaning traveling at our expense) was charged with making unwanted advances on a couple of women, including inproper contact and attempting to force entry into their hotel room. He accepted no-contest censure from the judicial review board for public intoxication. Those women probably feel fully vindicated now, knowing he was drunk and all. Sounds like sexual agression is OK if you have been drinking. What do you think? "Oops?"

OK, old man. Interesting stories, but what is the connection?

Oh, maybe there isn't any. But I can't help thinking about the economic boom we were enjoying up till two years ago. The national debt was going in the right direction. The stock market was going in the right direction. It seems to me, even civil rights were going in the right direction. But an elected official in a high place had a private consensual affair and we decided to make some changes. He tried to hide it. Why, morality needed to be restored to our country. We wanted a government with higher principles. What do you think? In my book, "OOPS!!"
posted by Sparky 10:06 AM

Friday, August 16, 2002

Amber Alert Feared Kidnapped!

As any good businessperson knows, when you have a product of service where demand exceeds supply, you should kill the product so you don’t have delivery problems. If you can’t kill the product altogether, modify it sufficiently to decrease demand.

Whoa, old timer! I don’t know what business school you went to, but something seems a tad bit off here.

Well, seems our political leaders are making a decisions based on just that principle. I was just reading in the New York Times how government and law enforcement officials are concerned that the recent success of the Amber Alert program is creating too much demand. Modifications are being considered to more narrowly restrict the circumstances under which a kidnapped child can be considered for Amber Alert status. According to the article, here is their rationale:

Law enforcement officials and advocates for missing children say that using the alerts too frequently would dull their sense of urgency and make it less likely that a community would snap into action.

Sorry guys. I don’t buy it. I don’t believe the American people will ever consider kidnapped children passé. Imagine, your child has just been kidnapped and the local police officer on duty isn’t sure your situation satisfies the criteria to activate the system. By the time you find someone to appeal to and get the decision overruled, you are planning a funeral.

"That first three hours is the life expectancy of a lot of the abducted children," said Chief Deputy Sheriff Jim Willett in Tarrant County, Tex., where the Amber Alert was created in 1996 after Amber Hagerman of Arlington was killed. "There's a lot of pressure on us, you can imagine, to use the Amber Alert in cases for which it was not designed.”

Not designed? Well, Sheriff Willett, we can help you. Place the alert. My child’s been stolen! You can turn it off in a few hours, as chances are, my unlocated child is another statistic. Finding the kidnapper after my child is dead may go in the books as a crime solved, but the system still failed. Three hours is not much time. Precious minutes and hours needlessly slip away as the system decides anything. Creating more restrictive criteria will only delay and immasculate our Amber Alert system, even for those "lucky kids" who get placed in the system, hours too late.

True, there are going to be times that it is activated inappropriately. But the system works. I would be hard pressed to identify a community situation more in need of our attention than kidnapped children. The only way we can effectively become involved is if those who know of the kidnapping, share the information. If sharing too often turns out to dilute the effectiveness, than we can work on ways to fix that problem.

There are those who try to use the pictures on milk cartons to say the program will become mundane and will lose its ability to work because you and I would learn to ignore it. I’m willing to take that chance. Perhaps some day another system will have to take its place. So. What’s your point? As technology evolves, there will be better systems. I hope we use them. For now, let’s make the best use of the tools we have that are working to save today's children.

Certainly, there were those long ago who said, “Let’s limit the use of stop signs to intersections where we know we have accidents. If we use too many, people will ignore them.” Stop signs have been improved, but have not become passé. Every day people stop at stop signs, even though they stopped there many times and no one was coming. Does it prevent all intersection accidents? Of course not. And Amber Alert isn't going to save all children. However, iIf you issued an Amber Alert every day, I'm betting most of us would pay attention every day.

If you are concerned that Amber Alert is inadequate to handle all types of kidnapped children, work on improving the system. Meanwhile, use the one tool we have that is clearly working.

My young grandchildren will not ride in my car without a seatbelt (and for some, a car seat). Is it because I have a lot of wrecks? Not at all. Its because seat belts save lives. Better safe than sorry. Well guys, Amber Alert saves lives. Better safe than sorry.

posted by Sparky 12:04 PM

Thursday, August 08, 2002

"Star light, star bright...."

In response to a query from one of my writing groups recently, I was prompted to draft the following:



ON WISHES

by Old Dad


To wish is to admit defeat;

To want is to resign the lack thereof.

Arise and have -

Assume your future true

while the present drags you there.



If you were to believe, as I do, that we create our own worlds, then....

Whoa, partner. Did you say "worlds" with the emphasis on "s?"

Well, yes. Each of us lives in our own world.

I thought that was what you were saying. If we are in different worlds, how come we run into each other so often?

Of course, you know that we don't actually run into each other. Your collection of space and mine never actually "touch." but that's another story. As I write, I am looking out my window. Were you sitting next to me, looking out the window, we would not see the same things. You might see beautiful blue skies, picturing lying at the beach. I may see ugly blue skies, picturing my new plants withering for lack of rain. But more likely, I will see the bug walking across the window, or something totally outside your "world."

We have a lot to say about the makeup of our own worlds. You can choose the music, the people, the lighting, quite easily. you can choose what is important. You can choose how you are going to react physically and mentally to your manipulated environment.

Can we go back to the poem? Are you really saying that to wish is to not have?

Of course. Nobody wishes for what they have. A wish, by definition, is a picture of your world the way it is not. Stay with me. "I wish I were in Paris." The universe satisfies this completely. You are someplace other than Paris, just as you chose. Now try, "I am going to Paris in the springtime, when it drizzles." Now you have direction, but difficult to create - still fuzzy. "When you wake up on April 1, 2003, I will already be standing under the Eiffel Tower waiting for the elevator." This is truth. This will happen, if you believe it. You will plan for it, because you know it is true. All the forces of the universe will get you there. It is true.

OK. I am a millionaire.

Nope. You wish you were a millionaire. Your words are empty. There is nothing behind them. Every cell of your body is denying your words. Your mind is saying you will have to scrape to make your car payment. If you bought the winning lottery ticket, you would lose it. Everything you are assumes you will not be a millionaire, and the universe is using all of its resources to see that you are not disappointed.

So, how does the present drag me there?"

When you are aligned with a condition in the future, your present is also attuned to hear, see, feel, know the forces that will help you get there. What was always there, you will see. What you used to crave, you will not even realize you no longer desire. Once the future is certain, the present leads firmly in that direction.

Do you believe that is true?

Absolutely and without exception. You and I are at the least derivatives of the universe, and at best, One. And as Voltaire said through his spokesman Pangloss, "This is the best of all possible worlds."



posted by Sparky 3:06 PM

Monday, July 29, 2002

Everybody Wins! [except the old people]

Last week, the Senate addressed legislation to provide prescription insurance for Medicare recipients. Would you believe, every Senator voted in favor of the coverage!

This is great! When does coverage begin?

Well... It's not that simple. It seems there were two bills - naturally, a Democrat and Republican version. Voting pretty much followed party lines. One got 50 votes, the other 48, or there abouts.

Well, 50 votes should be enough. What happened?

Any bill that is going to create a deficit in the budget needs 60% to pass. So you see, every Senator can go back home and tell grandma and grandpa that they supported the medication bill, but those lousy [opposition party] Senators killed it. Once again, our represenatives have acted in our best interest, both providing for seniors and protecting the budget.

If you will recall, both Presidential candidates promised a medication benefit. It has been nearly two years since that election. Many thousands of voters who went to the polls in November 2000 will never live to see the #1 Medicare issue resolved. Everybody says they want it. Everybody votes for it. It just doesn't happen. Meanwhile, back in Washington....


posted by Sparky 11:58 AM

Tuesday, July 09, 2002

Economic Forecast - Cloudy, 70% Chance of Rain

In his New York Times article this morning, "Levi's Shifts Into a Lower Gear," Stuart Elliott goes to great length in explaining the Levi's market strategy for their low rise jeans. A product available "everywhere" for women, they have been available almost nowhere for men... until now. Levi's concept of setting the trend, not following it, will be everywhere in print and electronic media. Perhaps you have already seen it. Seems we are going to have the pleasure of exploring the male anatomy below the navel much as we have with the young ladies.

Now, mind you, I am not complaining about fashion, or the exposed abdomens. If you can show them at the beach, why not at the mall? Much like the beach, however, many forgo flattering attire for more skin, even if that skin surrounds an excess of Big Macs.

No matter what you think of the exposed anatomy, the "waistline" is definitely headed lower, creating even more canvas for the budding artists with dyes and needles... and of course, let us not forget the jewelers. But that is still not the point.

A well established economic barometer has been the hemline. When the hemline goes up, the economy goes down. Problem is, American youth, male and female wear few skirts. The fashion industry, and Levi's in particular has the solution: If you can't raise the hem, lower the waistline!

So, my friends, much as I would love to be telling you to jump into the market, the economy is about to take off, I would hate to see you caught with your pants down, so to speak. When you start to see covered navels in the fashion mags again, it will be time to cover your losses in the market. Until then, stay with the boreing, dividend paying recession resistent investments - and don't send your kids to Target with a credit card! You may get less than you're paying for! [Good news! When your kids complain their pants are too short, just tell them to pull 'em down!]

Special note to those holding depressed portfolios: Newton never said, "What goes down, must come up!" Quality investments have traditionally recovered losses over time. Speculative investments vary widely. "Hold on if you can" may be bad advice, depending on what you are holding. When everything is going up, everybody picks winning strategies. Look around for advisors, managers, or funds that have been winning since last October. These are your new best friends!

Special note on Levi's: In February, Levi's cut their US production capacity from 6 plants to 1, moving most remaining US manufacturing overseas. Their one remaining US plant in San Antonio has a modest pay scale by US standards, and has bi-lingual supervisors to accomodate recent arrivals from Mexico. Levi's may just be the financialbarometer we need. They seem to be making significant accommodations to economic situations.

Hot tip: If you want to know what a stock is worth (as opposed to what you paid for it, check what the insiders are selling at (available on Yahoo and other services). Then deduct several percent for fees and stuff. If the CEO and other major stockholders are willing to sell at 20, is it likely the stock is headed for 30? Just wondering!



posted by Sparky 12:11 PM

Tuesday, June 25, 2002

Supreme Court Gets It!

A few days ago, I shared with you the idea the the Supreme Court is off task. So it is only fair that I compliment the justices for their decision yesterday that only the jury could impose a death penalty. This seems totally consistent with the "trial by peers" concept. Hopefully, the Court will have reason in the future to extrapolate this decision to non-capital offenses where judges impose penalties.

"Now wait a minute. You mean to tell me that judges should be bound by the sentence recommendations of the jury?"

Well.... yes! Provided the recommendation of the jury is within the extablished parameters of the law, their decision should stand. The role of the judge was designed to be the facilitator that assures that the proceedings flow according to law.

"But that violates a long tradition of judging in this country!

Yes! Better late than never!


posted by Sparky 3:59 PM

No Sweat

In "Let Them Sweat" Mr. Kristoff, and subsequently his discussion partners agree on the assumption that the US attitude toward sweat shops is somehow based on the welfare of the workers, the protection of the environment, or some other altruistic prupose. If only that were true.

US history is repleat with examples of foreign affairs based on devine self-interest. If the sweatshops were producing a product under miserable conditions that was net more expensive than products produced domestically, there would be no issue. Politicians would be happy to leave the governing of other countries to local leadership. However, when those products arrive at Home Depot or WalMart at rediculously low prices, then, and only then, do we become concerned about the human rights and environment issues.

In generations past, government was able to accomplish economic support for domestic industry, and support the government, by taxing such products to obtain balance. In today's political arena, we need to develop more "public scrutiny friendly" methods of turning the economic spread between our countries into a positive.

If our agenda really is to improve the quality of life in other countries or to preserve aspects of the environment, we are merely puffing to tell other countries how to operate. Better we should use our economic resources, gained at point of entry or point of sale, to create economic incentives for change. That is, of course, assuming we want to affect change.
posted by Sparky 3:43 PM

Friday, June 21, 2002

Supreme Court Justices Don't Get It!

Following is an excerpt (lifted from yesterday's AP story carried in the New York Times) which gives the rational of this august body with regard to executing mentally retarded murderers. Take a look:

Of the 38 states that have a death penalty, 18 now prohibit executing the retarded, up from 2 when the court last considered the question in 1989. This "dramatic shift in the state legislative landscape," especially when anticrime legislation is extremely popular, "provides powerful evidence that today our society views mentally retarded offenders as categorically less culpable than the average criminal," Justice John Paul Stevens wrote for the 6-to-3 majority

I don't mid sharing that I am against the death penalty, if for no other reason than is is an economic nightmare! We warehouse death row inmates for years, pay for their appeals, and eventually zap them. Life in prison with no parole seems a viable economic alternative, and possibly more humane in the process.

Butr I was disturbed at the ruling of the Supreme Court based on a shift in public opinion, rather than the law. Oh, sure, they cite a shift in the tenor of state laws, but their charge is to uphold the federal law, based on the Constitution and stuff like that. If they are going to take into account public opinion, how about ruling that 7 mile per hour over the posted speed limit isn't really speeding, or that claiming undocumentable deduction of your income tax is now legal - because everybody does it!

I am ordinarily delighted when the Supreme Court actually gives the little guy the break the founding fathers intended in the Bill of Rights. i remain extremely disappointed, not on their present decision, but thier lack of legal basis for that decision!
posted by Sparky 11:44 AM