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.