ON THE ROAD IN OUR TOWNSHIP

Tuesday afternoon and we’re on the road in our Township. Many errands to catch up on.

Stepped into a ‘green’ coffee shop for lunch and am overlooking a miniature woods.
Lunch was soy burger, latte, and lentil soup.

How’s that for an unrepentant conservative?

The food is good and the wait staff is friendly, attentive, and in several cases quite attractive.

And the laptop enjoys being connected to the net to catch up on fixes, patches, etc.

Anyway, we look out on the ‘woods’ and think about the news this Day of Our Lord.

As noted earlier, b.o. has fired GM CEO.

Lots of opinion on the whys and wherefores.

What makes sense?

There is the theory that b.o. needed to show he could be tough on the executives, that he didn’t like the heat of letting the AIG guys off too easily.
Believable?? Of course.
It fits the b.o. modus operandi (sp?).

Anything to protect the image.

But another explanation surfaces:

b.o. wants us to drive smaller vehicles. Congress just passed a massive set aside of potentially high energy producing lands within the continental US – no energy exploitation to be carried on therein.

Control of the auto companies will further the national dem agenda of preventing the auto companies from producing the cars the American people prefer to drive, i.e., the bigger, less fuel efficient vehicles.

No more endarounds of café (sp?) standards by creative American capitalists.

And if this is a true scenario, we can expect further restrictions of off-shore drilling/exploration.

Gas will become more expensive. The people will buy the smaller vehicles when the price per gallon reaches the tipping point of $4.
b.o. has stated that he likes $4 gas, but that it should take a while to get here.

And so, the US will not develop massive oil, natural gas, and coal reserves that are plentiful within the US.
We will pay high prices for our energy sources.
We will continue our dependence for oil/natural gas on foreign suppliers.

And the liberal green constituency will be appeased.

Well, gotta hit the road.

Lunch is over, latte is drunk.

We're a diverse people, lots of layers, lots of complexity.

As the saying goes, "You can fool some of the people some of the time...."

We'll see.

Hopefully, 'You cannot fool of all the people all of the time."

MONDAY

Monday morning.

About a quarter of inch of snow on the ground.
Filled bird feeder last night to help with this last gasp of winter.

Squirrel corn feeder and nut feeder will remain mostly empty until fall, unless excess corn/nuts become available.

And General Motors CEO has been fired by b.o.

And Chrysler has been ordered to partner with a European firm.

And b.o. is taking 500 folks with him and mrs. b.o. to Europe.
It appears that steps are being taken to help b.o. avoid any gaffs as he meets with Her Majesty.

I guess that means no dvds for the Queen of Great Britain, Northern Ireland, etc., etc..

As the lead actor in a mediocre movie said some decades ago, or was it a lyric from the theme song of that film,

“tis a very strange world we live in, Master Jack….”

THE OTHER WAY AROUND

It is a rainy, snowy night in Michigan.

There is just enough snow to coat the ground.
It was in the upper 40’s yesterday. We did some caulking. And then it rained. You are not supposed to caulk when it is going to rain/snow and go below freezing.

As I think of this and other things, thankfully, other thoughts intrude.

One of them is the observation that individuals and generations demonstrate similar patterns of behavior as they mature.

That is, the young adult imagines that his challenges/problems are somehow unique to him; that his/her reactions to them will be, or hopefully will be, somehow unique, or at least better than the ways that his/her forbears dealt with their challenges.

I was guilty of this foolishness.

I know better now.
Perhaps I did a few things better than the Old Folks, but they did a pretty good job. I could have learned more from them than I was ready to.

And now our generation, really several generations, by no means only my generation, have elected b.o. to bring CHANGE to this world of ours.

It was time, he proclaimed, to finally, at long last, reign in the forces of evil in whatever shape they happened to present themselves in.

It was time to get serious about changing for the better American politics, economics, diplomacy, even certain cultural and social norms, and on and on.

CHANGE!

Out with the old. In with the new.
Soft power.
Extend the hand of friendship – the carrot without the stick.

There had been way too much stick. Simply extend the open hand.

Simply take over banks and businesses and guarantee no failure.

No failure. No personal responsibility.
Never mind that most folks are paying their bills.

The matter of American health care – out of control. Not good enough.
CHANGE it.

I could go on.
Not going to.

Instead, without citing bibliographies and references – I cannot do that because I have not done the research – I will suggest that the nations of the world today face versions of problems and challenges they have always faced, and that the difficulty of coping with these problems and challenges is compounded by the fact that the leadership of the Good Guys {USA, UK, and several others] is pretty shabby indeed.

And here we come to it: democracies get the kind of leadership they deserve.

So do individuals, by the way, in civilized, democratic societies. SMALL d.

Anyway, we are suggesting that it is not the severity of modern problems that distinguishes our modern world from that of our antecedents. Rather, it is the shabby leadership which the democracies have elevated to positions of power.

And the blame for that shabbiness must rest with the electorate.

Our antecedents elevated such folk as Lincoln, FDR, Truman, and Reagan to the hot seat. Across the Pond, they did so with Churchill.

The leader does not win the war; beat the odds; lay the beast to rest.

The people do all of that with the Big Guy leading the way.
b.o. has yet to demonstrate any of the necessary qualities.
On the contrary, he has from the beginning of his appearance on the public stage demonstrated quite the opposite.

He is a Chicago politician newly arrived on the scene.

We hope the apple has fallen far from the tree.

He has a lot to prove.

True, this man of the people has not been on the job very long. But we who opposed his election have witnessed lots to discourage us. And we still are.

McCain was no giant either, in our opinion.
A military hero yes. A patriot yes.

A demonstrated leader of the co-greatest nation in the history of the earth?
No.

A great people elevate great leaders.

We have elevated b.o. Well, we at The Study did not. You know what I mean.

The supporters of b.o. do not realize this truth: that a great leader does not make a people great. It works the other way around.

A great people elevate great leaders.

Churchill was once congratulated as being the savior of the British people, for giving them the strength to carry on.

His response was typical – and honest:

"The nation had the lion's heart. I had the luck to give the roar," Churchill is reported once to have said about his pivotal role in the Second World War.

The American people had a lion’s heart. I am sure they still do. But I fear that it has been sublimated, put away.

America faces challenges in many respects as great in their ways as any the nation has ever faced.

And the leader the nation has elected has never in any way, at any time up to and including the present moment, demonstrated any of the qualities which would seem to indicate the qualities of leadership which are needed in the
21st Century.

MAY THEY REST IN PEACE

THE THIN BLUE LINE


MARK DUNAKIN

JOHN HEGE

ERVIN ROMANS

DANIEL SAKAI


OAKLAND POLICE DEPARTMENT

I WILL TRY

Wednesday, 25 March.

It would seem that construction projects at The Study are over, at least for awhile – knock/touch wood.

Sophie is asleep next to one of our portals on the world (computer) and more congenial work is going forward.

Rain started ca. 4 AM – awoke early and heard it on the roof.

‘Tis now a gray day with on-and-off precipitation.

We caught some of the press conference last night, breaking our promise to ourselves not to watch b.o. directly.
It just happened. We were having a late dinner and there he was and there we were.

Even this amateur student of affairs was aware of the misstatements, spins, mischaracterizations, etc., which were coming from the oracle’s mouth.

Again, we don’t make a living with this site and therefore I will not take the time to copy/paste to prove this point. Sufficient to say, that b.o.’s pronouncements were, as one more erudite commentator has said, a ‘tissue of lies’.

This is what we have come to, a President who cannot be believed. Well, we who voted against him knew he was of that caliber.

Those who voted for him did not believe it or did not care. Probably lots of them did not care.

They liked him. They did not care what he stood for, really stood for, and so they voted for someone they liked, not for carefully thought out principles which they liked.

As we have said before, people of a democracy eventually get what they deserve.

I hope our getting of b.o. is not the result of inevitable aging of a society – the process whereby a society/culture morphs into a progressively less and less vibrant/vital entity, into one relying more and more on the largesse of the central government.

What a thought!!

The heart and mind shrinks from such a thought for it reeks of inevitability, of preordination, of ultimate failure and futility.

This could be one of the most dangerous moments in the history of the United States.

What it is not is the beginning of our ascent into the ‘broad, sunlit uplands’ of a new world, to again borrow a phrase from Winston Churchill.

I wonder what Presidents Lincoln, FDR, and Prime Minister Churchill would have thought of b.o.

What a way to end a posting.

And yet there is a connection: those three earlier leaders all led a people who were facing monumental threats.

They spoke to their people and the people listened.
They were told how they could work and act and sacrifice TO SAVE THEIR WAYS OF LIFE – NOT TO CHANGE BUT TO SAVE!!

They were NOT told that solutions would come from CHANGING/PURIFYING the greedy, incompetent, criminal and domestic fabric which had been evolving from the founding of their nation and which had produced, criticisms not withstanding, the most important nations [US/UK] in the history of the world, or that, as we have been, only now with the election of b.o. was such purification possible due to the incredibly blind policies which hitherto had been in place.

Those folks were told the truth that it was the incredibly sound and strong fabric of the culture/society which, when properly harnessed and focused, would lead to better days.

Anyway, another posting gone negative again.

What can I say?

What I can say is that a lot of good stuff is going on and I will try to reference some of it.

I will try.

TUESDAY

Tuesday AM.

Sophie and I are awaiting the arrival of a contractor who will perform needed work on our house and home.

And although the work has been authorized by Dear Wife and although we know that anticipation is often the most enjoyable part of many projects, awaiting the start of construction is definitely not one of our favorite things.

It helps to think upon the wisdom of Winston Churchill [paraphrased]:

If you’re going to make an omelet, you have to break some eggs.

As we await the arrival of ‘outside’ forces, radio/tv and internet provide even more welcome distraction than usual – in spite of the fact that by no means all of the ‘news’ is of a positive nature.

We note that Mt. Redoubt has begun to express itself.
We were in Alaska last year and although we do not know that wonderful region as well as we would like to, we now harbor a special interest and affection for that most remarkable land.

We note that Governor Palin is endeavoring to refuse portions of Federal Stimulus funds. We are not surprised. There are some hopeful things going on.

We also note that there have been 6000+ murders along the US- Mexican border in the last year. Good Grief!!! And hundreds of kidnappings!!!
And our border is porous.

And the House Financial Committee [may or may not be the exact name] is interviewing the Treasury Secretary and Fed Chief [I think that is the latter’s title].
And they are explaining and predicting and obfuscating [big word] and now, just today, apparently seeking preemptive authority to seize important businesses that are about to fail – not just banks.

And b.o. has shown himself to be teleprompter dependent; to be disrespectful of handicapped athletes; to be willing to go where no sitting President has gone before (late-night talk comedy show); and to enjoy ‘gallows’ humor regarding the current economic difficulties.

Back to our ‘home improvement’, have just lit up a fire in the fireplace. Weather today is calling for upper 40’s, low 50’s. Our proposed construction will require an open door for awhile.

Fireplaces are wonderful things.

Not only warmth, but perhaps a little soothing of the nerves as well.

NATIONAL DISCONNECT

It is late here at The Study as we take keyboard in hand – going on toward midnight.

And cocktail hour has been most enjoyable. Salmon for dinner followed by strong tea and Jack Daniels.

And the house is quiet.

The Wife is in Florida.

Sophie Matilda and I are holding down whatever we are holding down…the Fort, I think Gramma used to say.

At any rate, as I am filing away papers and doing this and that, it occurred to me that the US is today suffering from more than just economic difficulties.

The more I watch the various news outlets – CNN, MSNBC (news?), Fox, and the host of online media outlets from both/all sides of the aisles via the internet, the more I am convinced that the US is experiencing a national disconnect, a situation in which roughly one half of the nation is wedded to a different set of … what shall I say…governing principles than the other half.

Indeed, we are experiencing a non-violent civil war. I think we are seeing a largely non-violent version of what the nation went through in the 1850’s.

Now, this is not based on any lengthy study. Rather, it is based on anecdotal evidence…

The sentiments and behavior being exhibited are bitter, vitriolic, and from the Left very often of the most disgusting sort.

This sounds prejudiced, but I believe that it is true.

The South of the 1850’s perhaps did have a legitimate right to secede from the Union. I do not know. But I do know that they could not be allowed to do so. And their dependence upon slavery was reprehensible.

Today, the Left has a right to say what it is saying, but the policies they are promoting are often dangerous, disgusting, immoral, and harmful to the national welfare.

It would be easy to cite a huge number of examples. But it is late. And tomorrow is a busy day.
And I do not make a living by making this cite prove everything it says.

But the libs these days are too often a disgusting bunch given to disgusting behavior.

We are experiencing a national disconnect.

SUNDAY IN THE HEARTLAND

Up early today. Light breakfast and off to church.
Wife is in Florida and Sophie Matilda and I are batching it.

Home for late real breakfast and then off with Daughter and her pup for a walk in the woods.

A 50 minute walk takes us to a roaring waterfall – over a dam – whitewater actually, very pretty and beautifully noisy.
Many, many birds. Lots of folks walking, many with dogs of all shapes and sizes.

The wood contains a fish hatchery, home to fingerlings [small fish?] and many different kinds of migratory birds coming and going.

The paths are unpaved and wind between ponds and through stands of trees.

It is very early Spring and we are in the Heartland.

This morning in church we were reminded that God is in His Heaven and also here with us on earth.

And this afternoon in the woods and at the waterfall we were reminded once again that God is indeed with us here on earth.

Sunday in the Heartland.

THINK ABOUT IT

Economics is the study of how people utilize scarce resources in order to make and distribute goods.

There are several different kind of economies which economics studies:

1 capitalism: the type of economy wherein producers and consumers make most of the economic decisions and the government makes some of those kinds of decisions.

2 socialism: the type of economy wherein the producers and consumers make some of the economic decisions and the government makes most of those kinds of decisions.

3 communism: the type of economy wherein the producers and consumers make few economic decisions and the government makes virtually all of those kinds of decisions.

Politics: the process whereby a government identifies problems facing the given society; identifies solutions to those problems; and initiates measures to remedy those problems.

There is a political spectrum whereby politicians can be charted:

Moderate position: things are pretty much as good as they can be – some improvement can be realized with some conservative and with some liberal modifications.

Conservative position: things need to be changed somewhat using some old ideas.

Liberal position: things need to be changed somewhat using some new ideas.

Radical position: massive change is required of the existing milieu using virtually all new ideas.

Reactionary position: massive change is required of the existing milieu using virtually all old ideas.

Nazis are reactionaries.
Communists are radicals.
Democrats tend to be liberal.
Republicans tend to be conservative.

Radicals and reactionaries tend to be violent. Not always.
Conservatives and liberals tend to be peaceful. Usually.

There are many, many exceptions in the cases of individual democrats and Republicans.

Think about the campaign rhetoric.
Think about the proclamations coming out of Washington these days.

Think about it.

What has the Nation done?

ST. PATRICK’S DAY

There have been several tomorrow mornings since I wrote A BIT OF A RUT with the promise to write some positive things about the world as we see it.

Please know that ‘a positive line shall appear within these confines’ did not appear not because there were no such lines to take pen to.

Thank the Good Lord, lots of good stuff was and is going on.
For a host of reasons we just didn’t take up keyboard to do our duty.

And today is very likely to be another ‘no keyboard’ day.

It is a good thing that we do not make a living from this modest online journal.

At any rate, we wish you the reader and really all good folk a blessed, happy, and safe day this Holy Day of St. Patrick.

A BIT OF A RUT

Still Tuesday, but much later in the day, or should I say late in the evening.

I do not like to write in the latter parts of the day.

Usually, stuff, either good or less than good has happened, and the writing abilities have fallen off.

But we are now aware that it is a rut we are in.

Lookin’ back over posts, it is obvious that the negative side is uppermost, is frequent, is too much.

We accept the kind advice given to The Study to think a bit on Philippians 4:8.

Tomorrow morning, after coffee and Lenten Morning Pages, a positive line or two shall appear within these confines, God willin’.

WILL WE MAKE IT?

Tuesday AM and the rain is pouring down.

A very attractive naturalist in Alaska this past summer told us that the folks of Alaska refer to the sometimes heavy Alaskan rains as “Liquid Sunshine.”

Pretty phrase.

Pretty girl.

At any rate, the rain is pouring down, the clouds are busy being cloudy, and we are at the keyboard and at the notepad, updating/recording impressions and working on a new Lenten Study Program, and remembering this and that from our Alaskan Adventure.

A second robin has made his/her appearance, and the rest of the ‘residents’ are busily going about their early change-of-season activities.

A thought has occurred whilst making coffee this AM: we survived the eight years of clinton, a President we viscerally disliked. We then were treated to eight years of President Bush, a President we could identify with and sympathize with.
And now we are saddled with b.o., perhaps for eight years.

How many more such Presidents can we survive?

I do not mean how many can the country survive – rather, I mean how many can we at The Study survive?

We are not getting any younger.

We at The Study cannot listen to him for any length of time. We prefer to use instead analyses and written transcripts, comments and the like from all sides of the political chart.

I will not defend or give examples here of why we find his spoken words to be so upsetting, even embarrassing.
Sufficeth [I hope that is a good word] to say, he is thus far a disgrace – as are what we have seen of the people he is putting into positions of power.

We wonder, will we make it to a good President again?

THE APPLE AND THE TREE

b.o. is from the gritty political world of Chicago.

Now, Chicago is one of our great cities, one of our greatest, and great people have and do and will come out of Chicago.

But other types of folks have and do and will come from there too.

My Gramma used to say that "the apple does not fall far from the tree."

b.o. is from Chicago.

THE NAVAL INCIDENT

Chinese naval forces have again harassed US Naval vessels.

Such behavior is not surprising. Rather, it is interesting.

China is undertaking the most aggressive military buildup of any nation on earth and it is doing so with a purpose in mind – to support militarily its burgeoning, blossoming economic power.

Japan is an exception to this general axiom: namely, that military and economic power tend to grow together, or to grow closely in step with each other.. Japan has largely allowed its physical security to be protected by the umbrella of the United States, to the neglect of its military.

China adheres more closely to the general pattern: develop both arms of national strength, economic and military, and use each one to support the other.

The interesting part of the Chinese naval harassment is the timing. They challenged President Bush within the first year of his first term by downing a US aircraft, holding the crew, we believe, for eleven days.

And now they have briefly violated maritime/naval custom by too-close flyovers and ship-to-ship closeness while under way.

China is behaving as China behaves, as any up-an-coming- world power behaves when confronting the Big Guy on the Block. They are trying out their abilities, testing the new Administration, looking to see how much they can get away with.

And all of this just after hillary visited their country.

So much for ‘resetting’ the world of international relations.

b.o. is being educated.

He is an amateur and apparently the professionals who know better have been, for the present, sent to the back of the room.

A LOT TO LEARN

First robin seen yesterday, high in a tree, primping and perfecting him/herself.
A sign of the times.
The season renews.
If only the economy could/would renew.

It will.
This is the US of A. It will.

Because of or in spite of b.o.
Take your choice.

We have taken our choice.

b.o. has done poorly by the British PM. The rumor is that b.o. and staff do not have any feeling for the specialness of the relationship that exists.

The story of the gift exchange is, well, quite a story: 25 dvds and two toy helicopters for the Brits and priceless treasures for b.o.

b.o. is of Chicago. Now, our memory is fallible. We tried to Google this last night.
But our memory suggests that in the 1930’s King George and Queen Mother Elizabeth came over and an American mayor threatened to punch the King in the nose if the King came to his city. He was playing the macho American patriot to an unsophisticated electorate, but for heaven's sake.

Our memory further suggests that this mayor could have been the mayor of Chicago – not sure.
Could have been elsewhere.
Google did not help.

Now, Chicago is a wonder. We know it is the hog butcher of the world and a lot of other good things, as Carl Sandburg said in his wonder of wonder poem.

But really, to play games with the Mother Country at a time like this is b.s. Worse than that. It is minor league, stupid.

The British Isles are the Mother Country of the United States, regardless of what anyone, anyone, asserts, for much more than our ancestors have come from there.
They deserve better.

We hope this is not a modern version of the childishness of the 1930's being played out by a Chicago politician.

There is an Italian word I should try to use here: Capish [I know it is spelled incorrectly] ?
I cannot find the correct spelling.

b.o., despite his protestations to the contrary, has a lot to learn.

THE b.o. SCORECARD THUS FAR - PARTIAL LIST

b.o. Administration achievements thus far:

US economy – financial entities continue to tank – as yet no bottom in sight
Higher taxes, diminution of incentives to capital producers
Pronouncements of gloom and doom
Comparison of self to the likes of Lincoln and Washington and Reagan and FDR
Carbon taxation plans which would make coal power sources more expensive whilst subsidizing the poor who must use them
Diplomatic humiliations – Russia and Syria
Confusing, inconsistent signals being sent to Israel
White House confrontation with a radio talk show host
national dem zeal to take on a radio talk show rather than really defend and address issues –
Panic, misdirection, and lack of oversight in deployment of massive Stimulus/bailout funds
Laundry lists of promises w/o benefit of funding proposals sufficient to pay the bills
An ever growing list of taxpayers who will be called upon to pay the nation’s Stimulus bills
Virtual total lack of confidence in the financial markets in any of b.o.’s so-called plans
The very common people who elected b.o. continue to have confidence in their chosen one – few experiencing any feelings of doubt

Now, the list could go on…
You could probably create a much longer one….
I invite you to do so…

At this moment, it is hard to see any positive results, any confidence, any evidence that the great one’s plans are worth more than a pile of you know what.

COMMON

When I have been less than successful on this or that task set for me by the Family, and the Family comments on my lack of success, I sometimes respond that I am trying, and they respond with that great line, “Yes, you are very trying.”

I thought of the above exchange whilst considering the dismal national and international news today, and it occurred to me that our current President b.o. was elected by the common people.

Sad to say, in the spirit of my being very trying, that those common people were very common indeed.