Weight Up

Summer is staring you in the face. And it's not sporting a friendly grin or a warm smile.  Summer has a gleefully evil look in its eye, and you know why.

That trimmer, leaner, meaner you that bounced lightly into Fall has weighted-up during the 'off season'.  True, you made it through Halloween and all those assorted candies, and through Thanksgiving with the mashed potatoes, stuffing, and pie. (Note to self: next year cut to the chase and make a mashed potato pie and stuff it right into the Turkey).

You even survived the holiday feasting with which virtually every religion and pagan cult gluts the latter half of December.  New Year's toasts left you still feeling nimble.

But something wicked crept in around the Ides of March.  And somehow... some way, the ounces accumulated into pounds and there you are, apparently absorbing nutrients from sunlight,  air, and water and looking unfit to be seen in Summer attire.

True Summer will be here in less than a month.  It's time to get running, swimming, biking, or just plain walking.  Switch to low-fat, higher protein foods from the artery clogging stuff you really love.  

Forego the beer, the pizza, and the ice cream. This will be akin to an 'enhanced interrogation' session, but necessary for national security (or at least to protect the sensibilities of anyone who sees you in your speedo).

And stay out of bright sunlight - just in case you really are a photosynthetic mutant...

Brinkmania

Whoa Boy, are we on the edge today ...

A bombing in Lahore - suspected Taliban militants detonated a car bomb outside police facilities in Lahore, Pakistan, killing 30 and wounding 250.  It's believed they acted in retaliation to the military's push to clear militants from the Swat Valley.  Whatever the reason, this attack on what is considered the most important cultural center in Pakistan is another step towards chaos in the troubled nation.  Pakistan is sliding ever more quickly towards the brink, and the skids have been greased, if somewhat inadvertently, by America's war in Afghanistan and our support of the now-ousted Pervez Musharraf.  It will take no less than peace with neighboring India and a commitment to review and revise its national structure for Pakistan to survive.

North Korea talks tougher  - North Korea tests a nuclear bomb.  South Korea is spooked and joins a US-led international plan called the Proliferation Security Initiative, which proposes to stop any transport of unauthorized nuclear materials by ship (i.e., a form of blockade). North Korea gets really steamed, calls this action a violation of the 1953 armistice that ended (paused?) the Korean War, and says it will no longer honor the treaty.  On the brink, instantly.  Will anyone pay attention?  After all it seems that North Korea has managed its relationships with just about everyone else save China in an on-the-brink all-the-time manner anyway.  We might end up in a 'boy cries wolf' tale, only with an even grimmer ending than usual.

GM on the Green Mile - Grim endings? The pardon from the Governor hasn't come, and the executioner's got an itchy injection finger.  General Motors may be facing the long walk without a last meal, or last rites.  How could so mighty an institution have come to this?  Chrysler, we can understand.  After all, it's been in big trouble before, but GM?  Truth is, GM and the other American makers have been in court for a while now, barely managing to stay their sentencing.  The economic meltdown delivered a verdict, though, and now the punishment begins.  For all of us ...

Judging Sonia

Our President this morning released his pick to replace the retiring Justice David Souter on the Supreme Court.  It's Federal Appellate judge Sonia Sotomayor.  

If confirmed she would be the first Hispanic justice and only the third woman on the top bench.  The pundits are predicting this will make her a difficult target for conservatives anxious to squelch her nomination.  But they are also predicting the conservatives will try anyway, attacking Judge Sotomayor as an 'activist judge'.

I've personally never understood that term.  How much room in the constitution does a justice have for activism anyway?  They can't make an entirely new law.   They can't fundamentally change an existing law to bring about a dramatically different result.  

Judges, however, can overturn a law if they find it is unconstitutional. And, in some cases, judges can 'interpret' the meaning and intent of a law and use that interpretation to decide the case outcome.  In these situations political bias towards 'conservative' or 'liberal' can have an effect, but is this 'activism'?  

You can reasonably expect prospective justice Sotomayor to be liberal.  Otherwise President Obama wouldn't have considered her to replace Souter.  But an activist?  No more so that Clarence Thomas is an activist, or Antonin Scalia.  

It would be better if everyone ('conservatives' and 'liberals' and 'in-betweens', alike) judge Sonia Sotomayor's appointment on issues other than 'activism'.  Issues like experience, performance, dedication, and fairness.

Memorial Day

On a Day for Remembering...

To my father, who served his country in the Navy in WWII, returned home to contribute to the baby boom and the American Dream, and who now lies beneath a Veteran's headstone.

To all those fathers, husbands, brothers, and sons, and to the wives, mothers, sisters, and daughters, who served their country in its wars.

To all those who never returned.

Thank You, for giving everything you had to give.  Thank You, for your sacrifice.

And in your memory let us be resolved to ask again for what you gave only when there is no other choice. 

We must remember that behind all wars, perceived as just or unjust, righteous or evil, necessary or fruitless, there has always been, and will always be, a small group of men orchestrating it all.  

Wars start in a back room, in a private meeting, on the golf course. Wars are not democratic and their burden is seldom evenly spread.

To all those who have started wars, who have been instrumental in their progress, and who have sought to prolong them for their own benefit, we give no thanks.  May you think today on all those you have sent to their deaths for your benefit and not their own.

California Scheming

I think that sometimes enough is never enough.  Perhaps this is always true, when it comes to governments and budgets.  Like Donald Trump, they just can't stop embarrassing themselves in the search for more.

California's ruling crew passed tax increases a while back, designed to close the gap between income and outgo created by the economic meltdown.  That wasn't enough.  In a special election just held, they tried to get the tax increases extended for an extra two years (after the initial two year run).  

Not surprisingly, the electorate voted these extensions down.  Who knows where we will be in two years?  Why extend the taxes now - maybe they won't be needed?  No one addressed these questions, and so most people voted 'No'.

Now, in the aftermath, dire predictions of huge budget cuts to schools and other essential services are flying out of Sacramento.  Now?  We have the extra taxes already for the next two years, why cut now, why alarm people now?

Because we have numbskulls who can't see beyond their own political infighting, who can't talk directly and honestly with the public if their lives depended on it, that's why.  Or maybe they just aren't the sharpest tools in the shed.

Those of us who live in the 'Golden' State have become intensely skeptical of our leaders.  We didn't used to be.  Objectively the state has never been run as well as it deserves to be, but we tolerated it and passed most initiatives presented to us (even those so legally untenable that they never became law).  

We've grown up a bit now, but our 'leaders' haven't.  They continue their political scheming and we suffer the consequences.

Hindsight Revisited

'They' say that hindsight is 20/20.  By which 'they' mean that events can be more clearly understood given time and distance.  Often, the implication is we will think more kindly on those past decisions, events, and actions, if we've had some time to mull them over, or if subsequent events have added context.

Something like this hindsight through rose-colored glasses is what Dick Cheney was groping for during his 'talk' on TV this morning from the American Enterprise Institute (AEI).  Unfortunately for Mr. Cheney, no amount of time, no quantity or quality of additional context, can do anything for his former actions as Vice President other than make them starker, scarier, and, well, creepier.  And give us all a profound sense of relief that they are over and he's out.

During his talk, the former Vice President had a justification for everything: the invasions of Afghanistan and Iraq; the 'Patriot' Act; domestic surveillance; torture (sorry, 'enhanced interrogation'); and Guantanamo.  The only thing he didn't have an excuse for was his little hunting snafu, so perhaps hindsight, Cheney-style, is only 20/40.

To Cheney, all means were justified by the desired ends, and all those who served those ends by carrying out those means were heroes, and all who opposed them traitors.  Sentiments that, in hindsight, have powered all the horrors inflicted by man upon man throughout history.

Through his talk this morning, Dick Cheney has done us a favor.  He's given stark contrast against which to judge President Obama's actions, and he's removed forever any thoughts that hindsight might in any way improve the ugly picture of the Bush-Cheney regime.

Thanks Dick, now please shut up ...

Poetry Break: Idle Dogs

Left alone, in the home

Without a bone to chew

A dog will wander, searching, searching

For something wicked to do

A wire to bite, a rug to soil, a trash can to explore

A dog alone, without a bone 

Will do all that

And really quite a bit more

A dog alone, without a bone

will trash whatever can be found

It's true, you can say, 

every day and in every way...

An Idle Dog is the Devil's Playhound ...