GUS McCRAE - THE FINER THINGS

In times like these, you could do worse than to think of what Gus McCrae referred to as some of the finer things:

The smile of a pretty woman; the taste of fine whisky; and a sunrise on a summer morning [paraphrased].

Ok, so Augustus is a fictional character in the Western novel Lonesome Dove.

I came across him in the 10 or more hours of the TV show, not the sequel mind you, but the original, the real thing – the Robert Duvall Tommy Lee (sp?) Jones production.

There is enough wisdom in this production to keep conversation going for hours around a campfire. Hours and hours.

We highly recommend the viewing and discussing, especially in times like these.

PAUL HARVEY, R.I.P.

Another of the Good Guys has passed on.

Paul Harvey, news broadcaster, talk radio host for ABC for over fifty years.

We heard Paul Harvey Jr. doing the show the other day and hoped that Senior was ok.

He was not ok.

It would have been something to hear what Mr. Harvey would make of the 'progress' of b.o.

Mr. Harvey's quick delivery; his various pages; his references to his family and his touting of his commercial advertisers were all of a piece.

He will be missed by a lot of people. He will be missed at The Study.

SO FAR SO BAD

An amateur here as taken keyboard in hand. But, as someone once said, even hypochondriacs can have enemies.
Someone did say that.

Wall Street, as they say, does not trust the Stimulus Package.

The public, insofar as it thinks about the Package, is impressed/depressed as the stock market, etc., continues to tank.

The tanking has been accelerated since b.o. was sworn in. No respite. The descent, the decline has become precipitous.

In other words, the Powers-that-be are not buying the deal b.o. is putting forth.

pelosi, reid, and b.o. have not made their case.

They do not appear to know what they are doing.

We, the world, are in a heap of economic trouble. The skippers of our ship were elected by lots of folks who had/have not the slightest idea of what is going on in the real world.

We at The Study are wondering just how tuff the US economic engine really is.

How many hits can it take and still be as good as it was?

When the b.o. policies fail, as they are likely to do, who/what will the msm and the public blame?

If the b.o. policies succeed, who will ever know just exactly what staved off catastrophe?

And will the payback for the Stimulus Packages, the SPs, be an easy thing to do?

Sometimes, it is not easy being a thinking adult.

bill IS STARTING TO LOOK GOOD

Two things:

b.o. of course was on TV this AM, going here or there; saying this or that; or doing this or that.

And then bill clinton came on commenting on b.o.'s performances thus far in his ... somewhat less than successful presidency.

And for the first time ever, bill looked good to this citizen.

bill looked good!!!

I cannot believe I thought that or wrote that.

But it is true.

b.o. is failing as a President and sooner or later those who voted for him, or some of them, will realize what they did to our nation when they voted for this person.

At any rate, the 'games have begun'.

The GREAT ONE is on the job and the confidence level of the nation, insofar as it can be measured, is suggesting that the nation is not pleased.

The folks that matter in this business of recovery have no faith in The One.

Nor do we at The Study.

CEO CAP

I believe the federally mandated cap on CEO salaries of firms receiving Stimulus grants has been rethought and junked.

Good, for many reasons.

First, it could easily be circumvented – perhaps by stock sharing options.
Here at The Study we would approve of such circumvention but hate to see laws passed which cannot be enforced or which are inane and, well, stupid.

Secondly, the provisions allowing it apparently were configured to allow the Feds to apply the cap to many tiers of corporate officers.

Third, think of the salaries of Federal officers.

Take that of the Postmaster General for instance:

Postmaster General John Potter's base salary climbed to $265,000 last year from $186,000 in 2007. He also received a performance bonus of $135,000. In all his total compensation -- salary, bonuses, retirement benefits and other perks -- topped $850,000, a spokesman with the U.S. Postal Service told FOXNews.com on Wednesday. [Emphasis mine]

$850,000 ?????????????????

A rationale given for this amount was that it is in line with salaries given to private sector CEOs heading up large corporations.

So, ok for Federal pays, not ok for private pays - even though the rational was the private pay.

I hope my reasoning here is clear.

We often get very, very foggy.

Again, we here at The Study hope that when/if b.o.'s remedies and those remedies of the national dems fail to stimulate that The Republic can recover something of what it was before The One arrived on the scene.

I am very afraid that a democracy eventually gets what it deserves.

ECUSA - THINKING OUTSIDE THE BOX

The link below takes you to an interesting thought or two.
And comment #14 is a dandy.

I keep reminding myself and others: Just because something is difficult is no reason not to do it.


http://www.kendallharmon.net/t19/index.php/t19/article/20442/#more

GRAMMAS ARE RIGHT

We have two cars.

Thus far, they run reliably and require only routine maintainence.
We get monthly 'emails' from one of them informing us of any a mechanical problems or vehicle-related subscriptions.

The other day came a rare advisory to add a few pounds of air to each tire.
It was not a warning – just an advisory.

So, for the first time in many, many months we took ourselves, the car and I, up to the nearest gas station to do the duty.

A change had occurred in the last few months.

75 cents to fill up on air.

The same at the second nearby station.

And 50 cents at the third try.

Such a deal!!!

Now we are told that the operators of the ‘gas stations’ do not reap the harvest’ enjoyed by the refiners, but really….75 or 50 cents for air???

Not good.

We pump our own gas. We wipe our own windows. And now we pay for bursts of air.

And soon the cost of gas will again begin its ascent.

Gramma used to say that nothing is free in this life.

Grammas are right about a lot of things.

THE GOOD OLD DAYS...

Read the text and play the video the link below takes you to.

It seems so simple.

And yet so many otherwise good Americans cannot tell the difference, are not aware of what their votes have done to the leadership of our nation.

http://www.realclearpolitics.com/printpage/?url=http://www.realclearpolitics.com/articles/2009/02/the_gipper_vs_obama.html

And the Good Book says, 'This too shall pass away."

THE DUKE SAYS IT WELL

St. Patrick's Day, for us at The Study one of the great Holy Days of the year from the Western Holy Land, is fast approaching.

I thought of this lovely anniversary whilst running across a link in the newsletter of the Rochester BPOE, Rochester, Michigan [Rochester Elks Club].

John Wayne, unique American icon, is forever for us the Cavalry officer of the American Victorian West or the Irish-American boxer of The Quiet Man, a film playing to all the grand stereotypes that we Americans hold re that Emerald Isle across the Sea.

And here we found him in this newsletter reciting a poem about one of the other two greatest nations in the world.

Give a listen and a read.
Enjoy.

http://www.mamarocks.com/why_i_love_her.htm

PHOTOS FROM AN EARLIER ERA - OF INTEREST TO MODERN SHERLOCKIANS

Afghanistan was of interest to the super power of the 19th Century.
It is of interest to the hyper power of the US today.

It is also a place of special interest to 'modern Sherlockians'...

Check out some old photos via the link below:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/in_depth/7883784.stm

STIRRINGS

The Russian Bear is stirring.

It is almost as if the harshness of winter is passing and the great beast is beginning to awake.

Of course, the Bear is aware that a new Eagle in on the nest.

And the Eagle is not only new, but is young and inexperienced.

True to the axiom that a power vacuum can never exist long in international affairs, the Bear will test the water, test the vacuity of the New Administration.

[capitals are being applied liberally today]

The world does not yet know the reaction of the Eagle to the Bear.

Let’s hope for an appropriate reaction.

A LITTLE MORE ON ALEXANDRIA AND THE ANGLICANS

Since posting on this topic very briefly earlier, we have read some of the other comments being made re this confab by the various folks/groups interested in the doings of the Anglican Communion.

Some of the commentaries are by no means encouraging to one hoping for harmony.

Others are more hopeful.

Perhaps this is the best that can he envisioned: a Communion home to controversy but united in the effort to discern and practice God’s Will.

It is possible that such a Communion just might be superior to one that was convinced that it knew, that it possessed the One, True Version of God’s View of Things.

Given the fallibility of those of us on this green orb, perhaps a community of those agreeing to disagree is not the worst way to go.

POST TRAUMATIC STIMULUS SYNDROME

Lots of data are incoming to us at The Study re the Stimulus. Lots of concerns are being voiced about what should or shouldn’t be done.

A new worry is being voiced amongst some pundits and has occurred to us: is any attention being paid by the powers-that-be to recovery FROM the Stimulus ventures being parlayed [?] so loudly and forcefully in our halls of government?

Are the national dems giving any thought to the aftermath of their/our cure?

Or worse yet, have they thought it all through and like the mess they see coming down upon the nation?

Definition of mess: a socialized, post-capitalist ecomomy on a European model.

Say it isn't so!

GRASS ROOTS

We supported a Boy Scout Troop today and we did it in a good old fashioned way.
Church in the AM and then home for a home cooked breakfast.

Then a few hours of drinking coffee and reading msm and calling family and in-laws to see who could accompany us to a fundraiser for a Boy Scout Troop at our Elks Club.

Nine Dear Folks represented our Family: our Son and Daughter; two Grandkids; ourselves; a friend of our Daughter; and our Daughter’s in-laws.

The food and fellowship was delightful. We bought a few drinks and supported the Club.

The Scouts were everywhere making sure that all their guests were having a good time.

I remember that this is the way it used to be so often in the ‘good old days’, little people doing big things.

It used to work wonders. It was working Sunday.

I hope it works in the future.

ALEXANDRIA, EGYPT AND THE ANGLICAN COMMUNION

The Episcopal Church of the United States and the Anglican Communion have a lot on their plates.
I stumbled across the article linked to below re a gathering of the Primates in Alexandria, Egypt, of all places.

I would love to know what thought processes went into picking Egypt as the ideal place for this meeting.

Anyway, what an interesting article - perhaps hope for something positive to come out of the stresses and strains present in the Communion.

http://www.episcopalchurch.org/79901_104790_ENG_Print.html

JAMES WHITMORE, R.I.P.

Another of the good guys has passed over, another little piece of our youth.

The film I am most familiar with is his work in I Will Fight No More Forever, the story of the US Cavalry's campaign against Chief Joseph of the Nez Perce Indians.

The Nez Perce story is one of the most poignant -

We met a man in Alaska this past summer who occasionally employs the great grandson [one of the degrees of great grand, anyway] of the Chief.

At any rate, another passing.

We are all moving along.

Check out the nyt article:

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/02/07/theater/07whitmore.html?_r=1&pagewanted=print

FEAR AND LAUGHTER

I’m remembering last summer when I/we were here and there discussing with folks the
upcoming election.

We would mostly carry on in good humor, agreeing to disagree with our democrat friends, remaining friends.
Looking back after these last few weeks, that recent time now seems all so simple and innocent.

We at The Study are just starting to be really worried about national affairs, more than before.

Sure, we did argue that b.o. and the national dems would make a hash of it, but now, months later, and weeks after the inauguration, it seems that they really are starting to make a hash of it.

b.o. really is ‘screwing up’ [present tense intentional].

Prominent appointments are fodder for the late night emcees.

He is, by all accounts, not leading in the congressional processes to get a ‘stimulus’ bill passed.

nancy and harry seem to be carrying the ball and we know their level of competency.

He writes editorials for the Washington Post. Apparently no jawboning with Senators and Represntatives of both parties behind doors at the same time until the nitty gritty is worked out.

His press secretary is less than impressive. His lack of impressiveness is pathetic. We are waiting for the press pool to … become less than cordial.
It is sinfully hard not to watch these press briefings.

And the tests overseas are starting: threats of a denial of use of an airfield; missile deployment complication; threats of war from N. Korea; Iranian satellite launch; Iranian undiplomatic rejection of b.o.’s open hand request; and the list could go on.

As the link in the previous post put it, it will not be helpful to US interests if the late night hosts etc., decide that b.o. and his policies are grist for the humor mill.

There is a saying about international relations [paraphrased]: If a powerful nation is not going to be loved, it had better be respected (feared?).

To be unloved and not respected (feared) is to court disaster.

It is hard for a barbarian to fear a nation it is laughing at.

b.o. - "HOPE HE CAN CHANGE"

All during the campaign, over and over, the word, the 'mantra' was CHANGE.


We didn't know change to what, but it did not seem to matter for the supporters.
Change was the thing and no one asked for any specifics.

Read the item linked to below.
It lists, pretty specifically, the problems that are piling up in the early weeks of b.o.'s Administration.

And failure of a candidate is not the same as the failure of the Executive.

We need b.o. to change a lot and to change quickly.
Maybe he already is, behind the scenes.


We will find out.

Read the article.
It is food for thought.

Hope and pray for the light to shine.

Bush made some mistakes. But he said what he meant and, you know the rest, he meant what he said, most of the time.

And when he didn't, he had a reason, usually a good one.

Which brings up a good point: there are good reasons to be stingy with the truth, just as there are bad reasons to be stingy.

Bush usually had good reasons. We're not sure about b.o.'s reasons.

Good reasons will be provided upon request.

Check out the link.

http://pajamasmedia.com/victordavishanson/the-obamosion/?print=1

A NEW DAY

A new day, a new month: Sunday, 1 February 2009.

Ten or twelve inches of snow have begun to melt and a new month is starting.
Hopefully the ice dams along the eves will begin to recede as well.

An Elizabethan prayer/saying/whatever comes to mind:

This is the day the Lord hath made.

Let us rejoice and be glad in it.

Our long-time priest retired this past summer.

We have just installed our 'interim' pastor.

He laid it on the line this AM: Things don't get done in a church because a pastor tells the congregation what to do.

Things get done because the congregation individually and collectively says I/we will get things done.

And I think that that is how it is with life, with the life of a family; a society; a nation.

Another Elizabethan prayer comes to mind, the prayer of a Cavalier general during the English Civil War:

Lord, I shall be busy this day and may forget thee.

Please do not forget me.

This may be a paraphrase.

But you get the idea.

The military has a saying too: Off and on - or, Off your butts and on your feet.

I cannot help but think of the people of Kentucky at this time of their terrible ice storm.

The Anchoress called the matter of the slowness of outside help to the area to mind.

The msm today has a bit on the great job the state is doing to help itself and of the beginnings of outside aid.

In WW2 there was the song lyric, Praise the Lord and pass the ammunition.

Or that other great saying, Puritan I believe, but not sure: The Lord helps those that help themselves.

At any rate, the idea is that things don't just happen. Causes create what happens.

We need to be causes, not merely spectators.

What a thought!

Thanks, Pastor Les for that thought this AM.

Those who just attend church cannot really call themselves fully involved. He said it better, but that will do.

Those who just watch the news are not really citizens in the fullest sense.

Just filling a pew is like going to a football game.

We have to act, to do, to cause things to happen.

A new month.

I hope I/we can make it count.

FRANK BUCKLES

Frank Buckles, now very lkely a unique American, has a part of his story told in a well-written account linked to below.

If anyone could be said to embody the history of America, Buckles might be it.

http://www.philly.com/philly/hp/news_update/20090201__Our_last_living_link__to_WWI.html?text=med&viewAll=y

Our world is strange and wonderful and exciting - if only we have the eyes and ears with which to see and hear.