A Dry Year

For anyone noticing the ocean scenes on this blog page: Slash, the 16-ft Great White, and Me, the Diver hoping to avoid the menu, it might surprise you to hear that I haven't set fin in water in 2011.

Not that I didn't want to, but something always seemed to pop up to stop me. Absence of my Dive Buddy, failure (or out of maintenance window) of critical equipment, or bad weather all interfered. Business travel had its effect, too, as did my other passion of motorcycling (for which 2011 was a very good year). But none of these things were sufficient excuses to go a whole year without visiting the fish.

So for 2012 my resolution will be to get Me and my SCUBA equipment in better shape, and stay as wet as I can.

May the New Year be wet, real or metaphorically, for all who need it to be.

Mitt, Newt, and other Four-Letter Words

On the cusp of 2012, with an uncertain future facing our country (and much of the rest of the world), it's a pity we are provided with such poor choices for the next four years.

I read today that the GOP side of things will likely be Mitt vs Newt, a battle between the four-lettered. For the Dems the news is of a possible change-up between Hillary Clinton and Joe Biden, with the current Secretary of State becoming the VP candidate. I hope (4 letters) I'm wrong, but this move seems more political than practical.

Can the President be that worried about Mitt or Newt? From what I've seen so far, there isn't a hope in hell (4 letters) of either taking the national vote (also 4). In fact, it's likely this campaign will leave the career of one or both dead (4) in the water.

Political theater aside, what do we citizens have to look forward to? Either 4 more years of DC deadlock, or rule by a Mitt or a Newt ( or Mitt and Newt, egad!)

The prospect brings to mind several four-letter words (feel free to imagine your own) ...

Riding the Gift Horse into 2012

The economy has had some good news lately: 'Black Friday' sales were strong, and 'Cyber Monday' tallies were even better. There is reason to hope for a decent holiday buying season to follow. The unemployment rate is even down a notch or two. And there haven't been any recent scary reports about Europe.

The cost of gasoline, and (more importantly) diesel has eased from the hurtful highs of the summer. Things are looking up a bit, for sure.

But wait ... is this the dawn before the dark? A false spring before a renewed winter of discontent? One last breath of ease before the world ends in 2012?

Or are we really on the road to a sustainable recovery?

At this stage it's anybody's guess, but I'm not holding my breath. With an election ahead that seems to have no good end no matter which party wins, coupled with the specter of a deadlocked Congress lasting past mid-decade, who can dare to be positive about our future?

Still a little good news is welcome after all the bad that has rained down on 2011's parade. And we don't want to look too closely into the gift-horse's mouth.

A Little Clarity Please

I'm having a hard time wrapping my mind around recent events. After all, it's not every day you have a bill (Defense Appropriations) in Congress containing a provision threatening to take away legal due process for American citizens. Especially when that particular piece of the bill seems to be supported by the democratic administration.

Good thing for us all that the republicans have added other verbiage unpalatable enough to the demos that passage is unlikely.

I am also grappling unsuccessfully with the concept of the 'Occupy' movement opting to close down the Ports of Los Angeles, Oakland, Portland, and Seattle. True, powerful corporations profit from the Port traffic, but then so do thousands of blue collar workers. In balance, I think the workers lose more than the moneyed interests in any closures, so why do it? I guess I just don't get the 'Plan' - unless there is no plan and we are just seeing a revived anti-globalism for which Ports are seen as smuggling routes for foreign carpetbaggers and their domestic allies.

And I still don't see any cogent reasoning behind the GOP presidential candidates. When is the REAL candidate going to step forward? It CAN'T be Newt. Is there anyone behind the curtain? Can that evil wizard Karl Rove have lost his touch? Or has he been drowned in Tea and banished from Oz?

As it stands now President Obama should have it easy come the election, but easy isn't what this country needs. We need a tough dialog and comprehensive debate between two strong candidates, not something akin to a protracted SNL skit.

My wish for this Holiday would be to have some clarity arrive with the new year. Statesmanship and fruitful compromise seems unlikely, so clarity is about the best we can hope for. Fingers crossed, everyone ...

Occupy This Space

I have watched with interest all the 'Occupy' gatherings around the country. As someone firmly entrenched in the 99% - albeit the upper 10% of that demographic, I completely sympathize with the catchphrase, 'Tax The Rich', depending on what you call 'Rich'.

I can't quite gel with 'Eat The Rich', though, largely because I am on a diet, and the 'Rich' may well be too fattening. The definition of who is 'Rich' is also important here, since my current pulchitrude would be too appealing if I were to be lumped in with the 'Rich'. Thankfully, a mortgage and college tuition for two will make it quite unlikely I will be mistaken for a 'Ritchie' anytime before I die.

Generally, though, I am behind the movement. And I do mean 'behind'. My generation had enough of getting clubbed and water-hosed back in the 60's and 70's. I'll hang back and defend the rear guard. I accept your thanks with great humility. You are welcome.

My favorite role in this movement would be as the 'counselor' or 'Grand Vizier' (if that's not too Islamic for political correctness). I believe I could give good advice. My first guidance would be to occupy someplace nice. For instance, why occupy downtown LA? Why not Santa Monica? It's still part of Greater LA and Santa Monica boasts the best facilities for the homeless in America - plus there's the beach for getting clean. And don't forget the stunning view.

My second bit of imparted wisdom would be to combine the protest with some practical and helpful action, like street repair. Why not fill up some potholes which marching around? Leave the place you are occupying better than you found it. Spread a little grass seed around the park while you are pounding up the soil with your protesting feet. Paint over some graffiti (faster than you create it).

Of course, the ultimate and overall goal of this movement is, as near as I can gather, to get government in this country to shift a reasonable portion of its attention from the richest of Americans to the rest of us. To get Congress to think about us, the people they have been elected to represent, at least as much as they think about the corporations who fund their campaigns and who bribe (pardon, 'lobby') them with junkets and trinkets and jobs (oh my!)

I wish the movement all success in getting this message through. At the moment, though, it seems the active 'occupiers' aren't too focused in their demands, and it will remain to be seen whether anything realistic and meaningful comes of the movement. Even if it doesn't, those in power in this government, and their corporate backers, would be remiss in dismissing this movement. As I alluded in an earlier blog post, 'occupy' may be the surface bubbling of a vaster underground volcano. Better to do something progressive to release that pressure now, than bottle it up and risk a major blow-out later.

Poetry Break: Perry Draws a Blank

Governor Perry Had But Three

Agencies to Tank

Two he could remember,

On the Third he drew a Blank

Deer in headlights, Mind wiped by Fear

He couldn't dredge it up, his Brain was out of Gear

Is this the End of Perry's Charge?

Will his Campaign sink, like a torpedoed Barge?

Governor Perry Had But Three

Agencies to Tank

Two he could remember,

On the Third he drew a Blank

For this mighty lapse, Mitt has much to Thank

Lightning Judgement

The Penn State child molestation case has taken ominous form: like a racing, ravenous beast it is quickly chewing up lives and reputations.

It was only a few days ago the story first broke, and now we have coach Joe Paterno and the school president both fired.

And nobody's had a single day before a judge and jury. Not the alleged perpetrator, not the school president, and not Mr. Paterno.

The trial will eventually take place, and we'll know the truth of this sordid and tragic nightmare, but the verdict will come after the de facto sentence for Coach Joe. Perhaps the information the Penn State Boad of Trustees has received is specific and convincing enough to take action, but they haven't told us a thing.

I guess in the court of public opinion, only an accusation is needed, if it's horrible enough and the people and institutions involved are newsworthy.

UPDATE:

The news now is a grand jury has produced a report which details the allegations against the alleged perpetrator. Paterno and the rest are in the hot seat for not reporting what they knew to the police as soon as they knew it. Ostensibly the reports are Paterno did nothing illegal (although others higher-up did), but failed on moral and ethical grounds.

Although the soon-to-be-defendant hasn't yet had a day in court (the alleged perp denies all charges), the consequences of his (alleged) actions continue to cascade and amplify outwards, affecting not just the victims (who have suffered enough), but dragging more and more people into the vortex. Some of the people who have been (or will be) punished for their involvement will deserve it. Certainly the defendant, if proved guilty, will. Others may to varying degrees. But a few won't. They will be crucified for peripheral sins, or by mere association, or for just being less-than-perfect humans at a time when perfection was expected (in hind sight).

UPDATE TWO:

Click here to access the ABC News link to the Grand Jury presentment

If even half of what is presented is proven in a court of law ... but I don't see where Paterno is legally cited for anything other than poor judgement. The brunt of the blame, other than to the truly sick perpetrator, goes to Paterno's bosses for apparently lying to the Grand Jury. Still, Coach Joe has retained a criminal defense lawyer as of Friday, November 11.

UPDATE THREE (Nov 17):

Penn State is circling the wagons as the lawsuit storms gather on the horizon. As some of the victims (I guess we must still say 'alleged' at this point) hire attorneys, everyone at Penn State seems to be getting lawyered up too. The Board of Trustees actions in firing the President and Coach Paterno (and others) begins to make more sense as a CYA attempt at damage control. But, a bit like putting up sandbags to hold back the Mississippi, the benefit is likely to be temporary.

Meanwhile, the principal character in all this, the alleged Perpetrator, does a phone interview with a network news program and all but damns himself while his lawyer was in the studio nodding approval. Is this the beginning of an insanity defense, as in 'May it Please the Court, my client is innocent since his mental age is less than that of the victims...'

The LAST WORD in this space regarding this travesty comes as an apology: it seems my use of the phrase 'Lightning Judgement' was completely incorrect. This mess has been simmering below the media surface for at least two years, so there is nothing 'Lightning' about it. Except perhaps the media reaction. (Where were all those reporters all the time the Grand Jury were deliberating? Why wasn't there any coverage?) And, it looks as if nobody in the chain of knowledge at Penn State is completely blameless in this. The failure of so many to do what is right may be all too human, but a huge shame nonetheless, and altogether too familiar to what we've seen and heard in the abuse cases brought against catholic priests over the past decade.