Hard Hearted

I see that on her blog, Wonkette is spreading the story that Dick Cheney's new heart is also his first one.

I'm quite certain that it took no heart at all to start the Iraq War and no heart at all to get filthy rich in the oil business he was supposed to be regulating. This is not a person I admire, to put it pleasantly.

Trayvon Martin

Considering the murder of Trayvon Martin, I make this claim. If the assailant had stabbed Trayvon to death, or had beaten him to death, or had hanged him, that man would even now be in a prison cell awaiting justice.

This is the work of the gun lobby.

from DASHMANN's point of view.

My friend John called me up to chide me about University of Michigan's recent losses in two sports, to MAC teams. One of course, was his alma mother. The Western Michigan hockey team beat Michigan in the CCHA Championship game, and Ohio University beat Michigan in the NCAA basketball tournament.

For the first one, Congratulations! to the Broncos. For the second one, I have no comment.

Whoo-ee, whoo-ee baby
Whoo-ee, whoo-ee baby
Whoo-ee, whoo-ee baby
Won't you let me take you on a sea cruise?

=======

Yes, my wife took me on a sea cruise to Nassau, but I'm home.

humorists footnote

I came across this list of the ALGONQUIN Round Table members. (Although there never was an official membership.)

Franklin Pierce Adams (1881-1960),

Robert Benchley (1889-1945)

Heywood Broun (1888-1939),

Marc Connelly (1890-1980),

Edna Ferber (1885-1968),

Margalo Gillmore (1897-1986),

Jane Grant (1892-1972),

Ruth Hale (1887-1934),

Beatrice Kaufman (1894-1945),

George S. Kaufman (1889-1961),

Peggy Leach (1894-1974),

Neysa McMein (1888-1949),

Herman J. Mankiewicz (1897-1953),

Harpo Marx (1888-1964),

William B. Murray,

Dorothy Parker (1893-1967)

Brock Pemberton (1885-1950),

Murdock Pemberton (1888-1982),

Harold Ross (1892-1951),

Art Samuels (1889-1938),

Laurence Stallings (1895-1968),

Donald Ogden Stewart (1894-1980),

Taylor Deems (1886-1966),

John Peter Toohey (1880-1946),

David Wallace (1889-1955),

John V.A. Weaver (1893-1938),

Peggy Wood (1892-1978),

Alexander Woollcott (1887-1943)

humorists?

SPARTY has sent the following challenge:

This morning a host on Michigan Public Radio posed this question: Who are the three greatest American literary humorists?

He hasn't yet offered any choices of his own, but I'll start this off. When I was a much younger person, I read everything I could find in the library by Robert Benchley. I haven't read anything of his in years, now, so for allI know, I might go back and find his stuff silly or not funny at all.

So, feel free to contribute, any of you.

question

As nearly as I can interpret the criticisms of the current US Middle East policy, there are a number of politicians who believe that the U.S. should attack two more Middle East countries, Iran and Syria.

Is this the opinion of any of my friends out there? Anyone among you looking forward to two more wars?

reading

What I read last.

what I'm reading now:

From JERRY

With the outburst yesterday from Limbaugh, which frankly, is even more crass and cowardly than I had come to expect from him, it does seem to me that Jerry's posting here is appropriate.

The Republican Party is going though a gut-wrenching experience, wrenching for them and for the whole country. It seems to me to be the last hoo-rah from a cultural dungeon.

off line

I have been essentially off-line for two weeks.

Maybe I can do better now.

Marsha writes

Marsha's cat Babu enjoys coverage of the dog show.

Retreat?

Any comments on the "Obama Birth Control Retreat?"

Sparty writes

The new controversy over whether or not the federal government may require religiously affiliated health providers to provide birth control information and the means of birth control is another example of the vitriolic character of current American political discourse. Republican leadership has rushed to label it as "Obama's War on Religion."

Here is Sparty's take on it:

This controversy over the Obama administration "infringing on the religious liberty" of the Catholic church is another example of a non-issue becoming a defining issue in a campaign, and that birth control should be a defining issue of religious liberty is laughable. The Catholic hierarchy is going to war with the Administration over an issue that few Catholics believe in. Survey after survey over the past 40 years have shown that Catholic couples practice birth control at approximately the same rate as the U.S. population as a whole. Of course, you don't need a survey to show that, all you have to do is look at the families in the pews. How many Catholic couples today have more than two children, let alone the five or more that were so common in years past?

Catholic theology contains the concept of sensus fidelium - that moral truth is taught not only by the institutional church but also by the faith of the people. The bishops at Vatican II taught that the teaching of the institutional church must accept this teaching of the people when there was a consensus fidelium. There appears to be a consensus on birth control that eventually will be accepted by the men who wear the mitered hats. Unfortunately, it won't come prior to November 2012 so we will have to put up with the charade of one Republican after another being "shocked, just shocked" over the HHS ruling.

and I'm not even "on" anything ....

I sometimes feel guilt, and wonder, that we are enjoying this comfortable and good life we now have. As a matter of fact, there are politicians who would agree that we shouldn't be adorned with tranquility.

I realize that what I am experiencing is nothing but the commonplace for a great many people now. It is the 21st Century, after all, and life has become routinized rest for millions of retirees who planned for it. Still, for the scrupulous, I feel, there is plenty of reason to pause and think how fortunate we are.

DASHMANN writes

Contributed by Dashmann:

datum

In The Villages, Florida, there is a Celtic Club with over 600 members.

staying alive, and warm

I read briefly with interest some of the speculation about the new recruiting "classes" of the big universities. We're talking about football, here, you understand. There is never a list about the recruited academic scholars; or if there is, the lists garner little or no publicity.

I don't put much stock in these things, and I certainly don't listen to any of the studio-bound sports experts who can engage in olympian sized conversation over even small items of sports "news".

What I did find interesting was the large number of schools from the south --- places like Florida and Georgia and Alabama on the list. Does this mean that we have raised a generation of pansy football players who, above all else, wish to stay warm?

1. Alabama

2. Florida State

3. Texas

4. Florida

5. Georgia

6. Ohio State

7. Michigan

8. Miami

9. Clemson

10. Notre Dame

How Blessed are they who are aimless?

I notice that some of the people who have been "occupying" various locales in the country are called homeless or transient people. Some are considered to be panhandlers or law breakers in a variety of ways. There have been some cases of violence by occupiers, and even a murder or two.

This distinguishes those who are camped from this who are marching and protesting day-by-day. I have not heard that any of those people are homeless or violent or shiftless. One of them is my sister, and she's not any of those negatives. I'm very proud of her.

However, when it comes to the homeless and the transient and the "shiftless" of the country who find themselves, by choice or happenstance, to be out on the street and to some extent or another, out of society, I can't think of a better place for them to be than in the bosom of a group that takes them in. I don't think in this world of 99% v. 1%, there are many other people who want them.

RECOMMENDED READING: TAKING THEM IN

disappointed

Oh Damn!

Everyone but Sparty disappointed me.

idle question

Here's a hypothetical:

Let's say I kill you. How much more offended would you be if I peed on your corpse?

Just curious to see what you folks out there will say. Don't disappoint me.

snapshots

Why did I take this picture? Don't know, but the still life looked so comfortable and welcoming, I did.

Our friend Bill, known for his big equipment, is here getting stoned with his big truck.

Here, I'm trying to look innocent. The open air bar helps to make one feel guiltless.

The Paper

Here in The Villages, there is a daily morning newspaper. It's a cultural remnant, almost, of a bye-gone era. It contains lots of news from around the country and some from the realm of "world news". But, its greatest strength is the amount of community news it contains.

In the morning, to be able to sit sipping cups of coffee and read an actual full-featured newspaper, to be sure that it will always be there on the driveway every morning, to enjoy its many features, seems a true indulgence. Here, there are many concerts and many movies, there are lots of local clubs and sports, and these are clearly covered in the paper. Events are going on all around us, and these are all covered, sometimes amateurishly perhaps, but always covered.

The only drawback is that the editorial slant of the paper is heavily Republican, and damned right-wing, at that. This I hate, naturally, but can overlook, because I can spot the slant and accept it as a price I pay for the sheer luxury of The Paper.

reticence

Lately, I've been suffering from a case of reticence. I can't say why, because I do have time to write on my blog and on Facebook, or even to begin a new short story.

We are going to go see WAR HORSE this evening. Lately, we've been trying to catch up on the movies that are being discussed as Academy Award possibilities, or with actors who have been touted in their films for having done a great job.

We've seen J.EDGAR because we wanted to see Leonardo in this role for which he probably will be nominated. We saw THE DESCENDANTS.

In The Villages, going to the movie is a nice community activity. There are fine theaters that are nicely maintained and staffed, cheerful crowds, and reasonable prices. We can go in our golf carts or car and step out into a reasonably warm world. In the evenings, jackets and sweaters are needed.

It's raining here this morning, though only lightly so far. Better rain is predicted for later in the day. We need it. Thunder --- do I hear thunder? Things are parched.

Lessons

A friend made a presentation to the Civil Discourse group in which he listed (and then defended his list of) The Ten Greatest Lessons of History.

I thought about this list for awhile and decided that the number one lesson on my list, which was not on his,would be this:

God, whoever or whatever one conceives that to be, does not take sides.

What do you think?

travel

I have been traveling (and assorted other things) over the holidays and have now settled down for awhile. Here are some observations:

1. The number of wonderful looking cars on the highways is amazing. Many different companies built them, and they are of high quality. They won't rust. Their sparkling finishes will last for decades. There are no lemons anymore. Very few cars are broken down by the roadside, even in areas where thousands of cars pass every hour. I conclude, among other thoughts, that the best thing to happen to the American car industry was competition from abroad, although it practically bankrupted them.

2. Too many people are talking on phones while driving. I am virtuous and try never to do that. I don't make phone calls while driving but sometimes take them, when I'm expecting someone to call and therefore know who it is and what they want and that the conversation will be short. See how very virtuous I am!

3. Going somewhere with my wife is always enjoyable.

In November, SPARTY sent me an article, by Bill Moyers, from The Nation. This essay described how the business class in America decided in 1971 to attack the liberal institutions and politicians who had brought prosperity to millions of Americans. Moyers traced the efforts of "Wall Street interests"over a period of years to end the components of our democratic republic which served the interests of the non-rich and the non-powerful.

Liberalism and the Democratic Party spoke for the preferred political faith in those days, because it was the faith of the commonest American people.

The effort of the wealthy interests to wage political warfare on the left, on the unions, on the common people, has been enormously successful. It has now led to the Occupy Movement which has been vigorous in many cities this autumn. This warfare has been blessed with hundreds of millions of dollars in corporate money.

I believe that with the end of winter and the onset of the election for president, there will be a resumption of the anti-capitalism movement. As the public discovers that both parties, and both presidential candidates are now toadies of the monied interests, the level of hostility will probably grow.

Here is where to find the Moyers article:

How Wall Street Occupied America: CLICK

about Christmas

I never thought I would like a fake Christmas tree, but I do. I think ours looks very good. I've gotten over the idea that this representation of the holiday has to be a "real" tree.

Only wish more people would look at other people's Christmas decorations more carefully.

=========

Alice expresses regrets that so many young people have sacrificed Christmas hymns and the pleasure of singing them in company with many others. She thinks it's a part of the rejection of religion.

without comment

Sheriff: Ohio man cleaning gun killed Amish girl

FREDERICKSBURG, Ohio (AP) -- A man cleaning his muzzle-loading rifle shot the gun into the air, accidentally killing a 15-year-old Amish girl driving a horse-drawn buggy more than a mile away, a sheriff said Tuesday.

Goodbye Vaclav Havel

An "accidental hero" --

"It's interesting that I had an adventurous life, even though I am not an adventurer by nature. It was fate and history that caused my life to be adventurous rather than me as someone who seeks adventure,"

top story

Killing of Bin Laden Voted Top News Story of 2011

By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

Published: December 17, 2011 at 12:08 PM ET

NEW YORK (AP) — The killing of Osama bin Laden during a raid by Navy SEALs on his hideout in Pakistan was the top news story of 2011, followed by Japan's earthquake/tsunami/meltdown disaster, according to The Associated Press' annual poll of U.S. editors and news directors

==============.

Comment:

I am not necessarily in favor of capital punishment. I have heard of some people being executed who, had I been governor, would have gotten a commutation to a prison term. I do admit, however, that when some people in death penalty states are put to death, I don't care. Gary Gilmore, for example. Last month, Paul Rhoades was executed in Idaho, after 20 years in prison and a multitude of appeals, for the murder of a school teacher whom he had kidnaped, raped, shot 9 times, and raped again. His death did not incite in me any sense of regret. And, had the death penalty been applied to Charles Manson or Sirhan Sirhan, , I wouldn't have cared.

===

When campaigning for President, Barack Obama promised that he would hunt down Osama Bin Laden and kill him.

"And if we have Osama bin Laden in our sights and the Pakistani government is unable or unwilling to take them out, then I think that we have to act, and we will take them out.

We will kill bin Laden. We will crush al-Qaida. That has to be our biggest national security priority."

(Oct. 7, 2008)

I'm happy that this happened.

on my mind

I've been very lazy lately about updating this blog. I used to think that I had to do it every day or two just because people who matter to me might look in expecting to find something to read. Now I've become a shade less neurotic about it.

Here are some things in our world I take note of:

1. The murderers of Sean Stennett (who according to testimony as reported in the news online, must be very very evil people) have been brought to justice. This morning the jury found them guilty on all counts --- mandatory life in prison. It's satisfying to know that men like that, capable of such a flat out vicious killing, are now under control and will not be stalking this community any more.

2. I've been deluged with complaints from Michigan State fans who feel cheated. They lost their game to Wisconsin as most of you know, and according to some voices, this is because the officials made a wrong call. I never thought that Spartan fans would fall back on that old excuse.

I must remark, however, that they should not blame Michigan, because our team did everything in our power to help State become the Big-10 Champions, including losing to them and beating Nebraska. We are going to a "better" bowl than they are because we were invited. I heard on a local TV channel that some people are wondering if Michigan bought its way into the rankings, but I think you'd better wait for any shred of evidence at all before you make that accusation.

3. We went with good friends to the Saginaw Bay Orchestra Christmas concert at the magnificent Temple Theater last night. The show was a "sold out" --- the first one. We all liked the event hugely, and I especially appreciated the Saginaw Valley State University choir which joined the band for some really fun musical pieces. (There is still hope for this woebegone post-industrial city. A successful symphony is one such hope!)

The concert was pretty much an exercise in Christianity, and that's no doubt appropriate since Christmas is, after all, a Christian construction.

kicking the newton

I am used to seeing the mean stuff that the Republican propagandists dump on the Democrats. Well, here's a comment that goes the other way. When Gingrich proposed that the children start cleaning their own schools, our minds went back (as do the conservative minds) to the old days when children worked regularly.

Cops with gas

Having seen the video of the policemen pepper spraying the students at UC Davis, and watching them trying to provoke those students who sat placidly on the ground without resisting, I am angry. In the first place, calling the police onto a college campus to interfere with a peaceful demonstration by students is a radical act unbecoming an administrator.

Secondly, if I were a student pepper sprayed under these conditions, I would certainly sue the cops holding the spray cans. Exceeding one's authority as an officer of the law is negligence; and battery -- even by a law officer -- is a felony.

How about never closing?

I have heard of several attempts by employees of retail stores to protest against the early openings that now accompany the "black Friday" madness/shopper rampage. These openings are going to deny vacations and holidays for many workers.

The most recent I have heard of was by some Best Buy employees. I understand that there are Facebook petitions that buyers and workers can sign, although I haven't been to any of those sites.

With the killing off of unions and the failure of government to intervene (government, after all, being now in the employ of the corporations that would compel workers to give up their holidays) there is really no reason why the big retailers cannot stay open all the time 24/7/365. To pay for the cost of this, they could pay their workers less under some guise that the government would accept as a waiver of the minimum wage laws.

Maybe Best Buy, for one example, could certify itself as a national security industry, and Walmart could certify itself as an arm of a foreign country, China, and therefore exempt itself from American law.

Let's just go back to an indentured servant economy; as the conservatives would say, "if you don't like it, don't take a job there."

ALICE'S corner

I heard some commentary this morning about Herman Cain answering every question with, "I'll consult advisors." If we look back, Rick Snyder said similar things when questioned about his plans for Michigan if he were elected. And the Saginaw News in it's endorsement of Snyder in effect said that they didn't know what he planned to do but they thought he was the better candidate. Scott Walker in WI, Rick Scott in FL, Rick Perry of TX, the governor of Ohio (can't spell it), Rick Snyder here in MI and Herman Cain all have close ties to the Koch brothers, and most have attended the ALEC seminars in CO. There must be a joke in there somewhere about so many of them having either Scott or Rick in their names. Is it CODE or something? :)

relativity

This is my older sister. She is the best activist in the family.

short quiz

Short quiz:

What's happening here?

No, you are not Penn State.

Being a fan of University of Michigan sports, because I graduated from that school, I am familiar with the feelings that go along with sports scandal. UM has had its share, especially in the basketball arena. There are people who have tried to excuse and apologize for the behavior that cast a dark shadow over my school. I have tried never to be one of those people.

When sports scandals damage the reputation of a great school like Penn State, students should rally in the direction of recovery and reform. Throwing stones, starting fires and screaming "We are Penn State" all night does even more harm to the University.

My good friend Bill has said many times that there is no sense of respect greater than going onto a campus. I agree. On campus, you wander into the promise of the future. You can feel the spirit of learning emanating from classrooms and diags. Nothing that happens in the secret places of the locker rooms, and no dishonor on the sports field, should be allowed to continue to damage that magical allure of university and student, teaching and learning, from adolescence to adulthood.

I have been on the campus at Penn State. It's a wonderful place. It's an exciting place. It's a great university. It was there before you arrived, or I visited. It will be there a long time after we are all gone. So, children, no! Screaming your chants mindlessly does not make you Penn State. On the contrary, it makes you less of a Nittany Lion.

Good Bye Andy Rooney

I didn't get old on purpose, it just happened. If you're lucky, it could happen to you.(photo: In Europe, 1943, the Year I was born.)

Notable Retirement

KASEY KELLER

American soccer goalkeeper.

At times has been called by soccer writers as the greatest goalie in the world. He has served as goalie for the U.S. MENS TEAM, 120 times. He's currently playing with the Seattle Sounders in the MLS, but has announced his retirement when this season is over.

the answer

Here's the answer to the last little quiz: How do you know my baby is both blind and stupid?

"Everybody loves my baby, but my baby don't love nobody but me." (1924)

The Loyal Opposition

A Virginia Republican Committee member has resigned after circulating this. So, I don't quite get it. Whatever happened to freedom of speech? Or isn't this a matter of legality?

money grab

See how the wealth falls into fewer and fewer hands.

Click on the chart to make it larger.

New Little Quiz

According to a song written in 1924, and done by Glenn Miller in 1944, and by Doris Day in 1955, how do we know that My Baby must be visually impaired and stupid?

News from here

Beautiful barista/bartenderess MARI has gone all zombie for Pub Crawl.

IRISH MIKE'S corner

JOB KILLING

This morning I was listening to an NPR report about a portion of the Jobs Bill ($35 billion) that would have provided for hiring police, firefighters, and teachers. It was voted down, with every single Republican Senator against it. Republicans keep talking about how taxing millionaires would kill jobs. To pay for the bill there would be a tax increase of .5% on millionaires, and of course that would be a 'job killer', according to the Republicans. But, If passed, Michigan's portion of that bill would have been $945 million, and that actually would have created thousands of Michigan jobs.

October 24, 2011

LANSING, Mich. - For the second time in as many weeks, a piece of President Obama's "Jobs Act" came to the floor of the Senate, and once again, it was blocked. The $35 billion bill, known as "Teachers and First Responders Back to Work," would have prevented thousands of layoffs in public schools and police and fire departments across Michigan. It would have been paid for with a 0.5 percent tax increase for millionaires. CLICK

Tuesday Morning Coffee Oldsters.

But, interesting and cute despite the age.

on vacation

There's no explanation for this. They wanted a picture, they got a picture.

We are home from the beach. Now I have to tend to my Blog again. I did read a couple of books as I sat and listened to the ocean make love to the shore. Holy cow! Maybe I should become a writer, too.

I just read about Michigan's former Attorney General who says that in retirement, he is "enjoying being a Democrat while living like a Republican." I understand his comment when I am in a place like Litchfield Beach. It's more beauty and comfort and leisure than I'm sure I've earned. My very good friend, Marsha, helps me stay humble, though. She called me a jerk, and I have to confess, she's right.

I'll probably post a couple more pictures of our "vacation" in South Carolina. I've become apprised of things I did not know while gone because I didn't keep a close enough eye on news and events. I am finding out that some Michigan fans are looking for a place to put the blame for our loss to MSU. Just being a Michigan fan as opposed to the other choice, is comfort enough for me. I am currently very proud of our team and its coaches for restoring our good name. Not every team has a good name, it seems.

As for the elimination of Ka-daffy, I wish it could have been done without our President 's illegal actions.

We've been missing our kids and grandkids!

more about killing Awlaki

Let's see where we agree and disagree.

1. I do NOT agree that the US is not fighting a war. In fact, I think it's a silly mincing of words for anyone to say that.
2. I do not agree that the killing of enemies is preferably done one way rather than another. I can't see any point in arguing that A a-A was not an enemy of the US.
3. I do not agree that foreign citizens who are captured by the US in conflict (Prisoners of War) are entitled to the same rights as American citizens.
4. I DO agree that there is a very serious constitutional question involved in hunting down American citizens and killing them. I think this should be settled. I keep wanting to hear the arguments for and against this, but no one I know will talk about that.
====
Frankly, I am disappointed that neither the Republicans nor the Democrats have been calling for Congressional hearings on this matter. It needs to be discussed and debated. Probably it needs to be sent to the Supreme Court and settled.

joke

"Well, the presidential race is getting interesting. In an effort to clear up his reputation as a flip-flopper, Mitt Romney will give a speech on health care. And then, right afterward, he'll give a five-minute rebuttal." —Jay Leno

Click to enlarge.

See more of Adam Zyglis here: CLICK

Killing Mr. Awlaki

I've been having discussions on Facebook and in person with various folks -- my son Scot in particular, and his friends, and coffeehouse friends as well-- about the matter of drone killings. The assassination of Anwar al Awlaki is the meat of the discussion.

Scot's opinion is that it is absolutely unconstitutional for the US to hunt down and summarily kill an American citizen.

Sparty's opinion is that we shouldn't be dropping death from the skies on anyone.

The conversation is open here on BIRCHES, because I would like to hear more.

=====================

I read this comment in the NEW YORK TIMES, and thought it represented somewhat my own attitude, although I think I have better reasoning than Mr. Floar has given here.

Regarding the Oct. 1 news story about the assassination of al-Qaeda cleric Anwar al-Awlaki “In secret memo, Justice Department sanctioned strike”:

I had been a member of the American Civil Liberties Union since the administration of the first George Bush. However, my conviction that the ACLU was dangerously wrong in contending that Mr. Awlaki’s killing violates the U.S. Constitution and international law forced me to withdraw my support.

The militant fanatics of al-Qaeda have, in effect, declared the entire planet a war zone, since they are prepared to attack us anywhere, and at any time, they can. Nor were we ever likely to be able to extradite Mr. Awlaki from Yemen, a U.S. “ally” in name only. Arresting and trying Mr. Awlaki would have been nice, but in the real world it just wasn’t going to happen.

Mr. Awlaki had declared himself our enemy. In killing him when and where it could, the United States did what was possible rather than what was preferable. The ACLU should remember that we live in a highly imperfect world.

John W. Floars, Woodbridge

Small quiz

Here are two gents who have made the news. Can you identify them and tell what they have had in common?

OUR TOWN: Less deadly than handguns, anyway

Patricia A. McCloy, 67, of 2210 Patton was sentenced to six months probation for two counts of assault and battery Oct. 7 at 2202 Patton in Saginaw. McCloy pleaded no contest to the charges and in exchange, prosecutors dropped two initial charges of felonious assault (or assault with a dangerous weapon, a pitchfork). McCloy was ordered to pay $266 in court costs.

history quiz

Loyal readers. Here's the latest little history quiz.

Tell what you remember about the circumstances surrounding this picture. You can do it by email or by "comment".

from the "Loyal" opposition

#Occupy Wall Street

If you've heard about it and want to read more about it, and look at some pictures, go here:

================

OccupyWallStreet

The resistance continues at Liberty Square and Nationwide!

CLICK

In Saginaw and the surrounding area, the police have recently seized 36 guns (as well as gambling paraphernalia, cars, money, and people). When things like this happen, the police always say something comforting like, "It's good to get those guns off the street." Or they say, "These are guns that aren't going to kill anymore people."

I appreciate the sentiment. It is nice to have some guns off the street, although I doubt that those guns will be noticed. As fast as they are seized, they can be replaced.

Counterbalance the efforts of law enforcement against illlegalities such as guns, drugs, gambling, and violence, and you have an industry that is perpetual, eternal, and ever-threatening to good folk like us.

more Mari

readers recommend

While we were away on our travels, some loyal followers sent the following: (If you need the cites for the articles, ask me.)

IRISH MIKE sent a link to an article in Rolling Stone which discusses the effort by the Republican Party to reduce the number of votes cast by their opponents.

All told, a dozen states have approved new obstacles to voting. Kansas and Alabama now require would-be voters to provide proof of citizenship before registering. Florida and Texas made it harder for groups like the League of Women Voters to register new voters. Maine repealed Election Day voter registration, which had been on the books since 1973. Five states – Florida, Georgia, Ohio, Tennessee and West Virginia – cut short their early voting periods. Florida and Iowa barred all ex-felons from the polls, disenfranchising thousands of previously eligible voters. And six states controlled by Republican governors and legislatures – Alabama, Kansas, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas and Wisconsin – will require voters to produce a government-issued ID before casting ballots. More than 10 percent of U.S. citizens lack such identification, and the numbers are even higher among constituencies that traditionally lean Democratic – including 18 percent of young voters and 25 percent of African-Americans.

SPARTY sent on a reference to a recent New Yorker article that suggests that many Americans have become deliberately perverse, preferring to suffer inconvenience and even harm to themselves rather than see other people be happy.

I was struck by this passage commenting on a new book by Thomas Freidman and Michael Mandelbaum in which the authors wring their hands when comparing U.S. public services with those in China and Europe:

The reason we don't have beautiful new airports and efficient bullet trains is not that we have inadvertently stumbled upon stumbling blocks; it's that there are considerable number of Americans for whom these things are simply symbols of a feared central government, and who would, when they travel, rather sweat in squalor than surrender the money to build a better terminal. They hate fast trains and efficient airports for the same reason that seventeenth-century Protestants hated the beautiful Baroque churches of Rome when they saw them: they were luxurious symbols of an earthly power they despised....Americans are perfectly willing to sacrifice their comforts for their ideological convictions. We don't have a better infrastructure or decent elementary education exactly because many people are willing to sacrifice faster movement between our great cities, or better informed children, in support of their belief that the government should always be given as little money as possible....

.....the crucial point is that this is the result of active choice, not passive indifference: people who don't want high-speed rail are not just indifferent to fast trains. they are offended by fast trains, as the New York Post is offended by bike lanes and open-air plazas: these things give too much pleasure to those they hate. They would rather have exhaust and noise and traffic jams, if such things sufficiently annoy liberals. Annoying liberals is a pleasure well worth paying for....

In the long story of civilization, the moments when improving your lot beats out annoying your neighbor are vanishingly rare.

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We are home from our trip to the States of WASHINGTON and OREGON. We had many very good experiences and saw some fantastic sights. This is a trip we've wanted to make for quite a few years. Having left a lot undone and unseen, we hope to go back there sometime.

I will be updating BIRCHES in the next day or so, but this evening, it's off to my 50th reunion. I've never really cared much for the class reunion idea, and have only attended the first 2, years and years ago. But now, I'd like to see whom I've outlived.

MARI

my favorite and most beautiful barista

BIRCHES IS ON HIATUS FOR A FEW WEEKS.