0018 - 18DEC2012 - "The little ones..."

“When you love your child, all children matter to you” so said an old Venezuelan poet from last century… In the past few days I've looked over and over again at pictures of my daughters when they were 6 and 7 and I cannot avoid plain horror at the thought of them being taken, then or now… And then I think about what were the last thoughts of those little ones? Were they scared? Did they call for their mommies and daddies? Goodness… Was God taking a day off that day?

“Are we a society that readily accepts these acts as routine?” and “are we convinced this type of massacres is a fair price for the freedom to bear any arms?” asked President Obama the other night… I ask, additionally, are we convinced this type of massacres is a fair price to pay for the freedom of expression (1st Amendment), behind which all the producers of the most violent and realistic computer games and movies hide? It seems that some unstable people cannot tell when the game ends and reality begins…

Ike said “we cannot legislate morality”; very true. Along the same lines, we cannot legislate regard and respect for human life, or common sense, or sense of responsible citizenship either. But, even though I am convinced that more gun laws alone would never fix this problem, I am also convinced they can certainly be part of the solution; the Framers of the Constitution, when drafting the 2nd Amendment, did not mean for anybody to have the right to own arms designed for the military or law enforcement, or having a battery Patriot missiles in their back yard, or having nuclear bombs in the barns… And, in addition to laws and their proper enforcement, something more primordial and organic must change/mutate/evolve in our collective minds and souls in order for this type of tragedies to become a thing of the past, and certainly not to become a once-a-year routine!

Football? Not in the mood for it…

Politics? Not this week; I am sure next week another clown would say something worth getting a chuckle on…

Food for thought…
“When feelings/opinions/counsel become irrelevant, the relationship is over”

- Anonymous

So, stay thoughtful, my friends…

0017-12DEC2012 - "Right to work"

Football? I’m almost over it… The Bucs, Lions and Dolphins are not worth watching; all they do is to get your hopes up, make you think they can close the deal and then, in the last X seconds (with 30<X<2) they manage to lose an impossible-to-lose game; I’m done; not going there anymore; not this season, anyway… The only hope for the playoffs is little brother Eli; he and the Giants gave a tutorial of Football this past Sunday by scoring over 50 on the Packers; and, I hate to say this but, the Patriots looked pretty damn good by dismantling the previously highly thought of Texans (another bunch of wannabes, just like the Atlanta birds: going nowhere)… Lastly, watch out for big brother Peyton; for all practical purposes he’s taken over as Offensive Coordinator and he’s winning! On any Broncos game, watch when the offense comes off the field: Peyton calls for a huddle and he brings the Offensive Coordinator to listen in…

Lifestyle. On Tuesday, 12/11/12, Danny (I don’t have to say his last name; everybody who is somebody knows who Danny is!) and I had spoken earlier in the day about hunting; he said there was a good chance of seeing deer in several different spots (locations undisclosed for obvious reasons) and said to let him know if I wanted to go to any of those spots so he could go to a different one; I decided to try one more time my usual spots although deer had been very scarce…So, at about 4:30 PM, as I was moving my sights from one place to another, along comes a buck, a buck which - along with another one – I had been watching since last season; their antler racks were very distinct: this one had a round basket; the other one has a rack going straight up. At any rate, he stood at about 125 yards from where I was and, as luck would have it, my magic rifle did its trick again and the deer didn't even took an extra step; it dropped in place and went quickly. His rack had nine well defined points and he weighed in at about 175 lbs. Danny came over and, after confirming it was a true ‘wall hanger’ (worthy of being mounted and eventually displayed in a wall), he helped me skin it properly (actually he did most of the skinning job; I observed and learned) so I can take it to the taxidermist and have it mounted. Skinning it for mounting is a delicate job, but Danny was masterful! I finished the job of drawing and quartering it, and will eventually butcher it after a day or two in cold water & ice… The hunting season is a success already!

Politics: I am retired from politics or, at least, I don’t want to play anymore! This fiscal cliff b.s. that is being talked about is not politics; it is simply Game Playing! Politics is a noble function; politics allows for the preservation of the best system of government ever: Democracy. Politics is, as originally defined from Greek politikos, "of, for, or relating to citizens". Unfortunately, the majority of the notorious politicians now-a-days (not all politicians, though) are far removed from that original definition; they are more specialized in games, stratagems and subterfuges to look good at all costs, including the cost of not doing the job they were elected to do: govern. Again, Politics is a noble function and we should be encouraging more and more of our young people to rise up, participate and lead. We also should be letting them know that the best among them is not the one with the fastest speech, or with most sales ability, or the one who masters most games. The best among them is the one with most integrity, humility, consistency and intellect, the one who respects their constituency, works hard to gain their trust, and then works even harder to keep it; and then, they must be assured that once elected, it is not a popularity contest, but a leadership challenge: make the right choice, the tough decision (not necessary the popular one), stand by it, and defend it with the best argument (not the best TV ads) you can muster. That’s the only way you can be ‘of, for, or relating to citizens’!

But, you know, there’s always fun in Politics when politicians play games; they end up not knowing which way is up… This week, Michigan government leaders (legislature and Governor) – all Republicans - worked as hard as they could to ensure that “the Michigan workers have a choice” making Michigan a right-to-work state. According to Governor Rick Snyder workers having a choice (of belonging or not to a union) was the overriding principle… On the words of the Genie from Aladdin “Excuse me? Did you rub my lamp? Did you wake me up?” Did I hear right that Republicans are fighting to ensure people have a choice? Republicans being pro-choice? Are you serious? This is not the Good Ole Party! Where is this world going to? I've seen it all now! Never mind the end of the world according to the Mayans… It is over already. Run for the mountains! Hallelujah!

Heard a heck of a quote one of these past mornings on Morning Joe…
“Manage the unavoidable; avoid the unmanageable”

- A Washington Post journalist.

So, choose your battles, my friends…

0016 - 03NOV2012 - "Brush fires in Hawks Bluff"

Hawks Bluff… There have been two reports about things happening in Hawks Bluff… First, it’s been reported that work began in Phase IV regarding the environmental issues cause by poor or inadequate drainage when roads were built… Folks have seen the pouring or rocks alongside some roads… Will encourage anyone to take pictures and post them here… Second, there is a report of intentional fires being set to brushes in Phases I to IV of Hawks Bluff; when contacted, the Piney PD confirmed up to eight fires in the four phases. A friend checked with VBC Sheriff Dept. and they had no knowledge of the fired being happening nor do they have any investigation going; they may – emphasis on ‘may’ – investigate if they have resources available when they receive the report from the State Fire Marshall… I called and was told there was nobody there to talk to me about the fires and, kindly, passed me on to the sheriff’s messaging service where I left a very unambiguous message. I suggest that everyone who can, place a call to any of the following numbers, and inquire about the Hawks Bluff fires to see if we can get any traction on this…
VBC Police Dispatch 931-946-4000
VBC Sheriff: Grayson Beasley 931-946-2118
County Commissioner representing the area: David Sullivan 931-946-2628

Weather… Jan and I moved up here in early 2009. Our first winter was the one of that year and it was rough; it was like being received with all honors. We had our first snow the week before Thanksgivings and – altogether - had about 27 inches of snow, many ice-outs and I remember saying: “Hmmm, they told us we would not get more six to eight inches of snow a year…” Time passed and 2010 came about. It turned out to be yet a stronger winter than the previous one; it snowed before Thanksgivings again; Jan and I ended up buying two snow shovels (one in a store in Cookeville - last one they had, and the other at Sears, on-line). We used them that year often and, had it not been for Danny and his tractor – which he does not own anymore, we would have been snowed bound several times. Ended up with almost four feet of snow that year! Then 2011 came about and not only we did not get any snow before Thanksgivings, we ended up with less than four inches of total snow fall; we did not get to use the snow shovels; we only needed to sweep the front entrance – with a normal brush – once! It was quite disappointing… Now comes 2012; Thanksgivings came and went and no snow yet; we have had, thought, a couple of frosts, but that’s it… Now, I am here hoping very sincerely I am wrong and that we have snow this year back to normal levels. However, I am afraid that things are changing permanently in front of our very eyes and that this winter will be warmer that last year’s… It may be too early to call it but, can you say Global Warming? No? Can’t bring yourself to swallow that one? Too much credit to Al Gore? OK; how about a Climatologically Unstable Environment? Does that sound more politically neutral or correct?

Sports… As the college football season winds down, I will be rooting for Notre Dame against Nick ‘Satan’ and the ‘Tide… I consider the season a successful one for the top Florida teams (Florida (5) & Florida State (13) – and always in that order!) and with a lot of work to do for the top Michigan teams (Michigan (19) & Michigan State (NR)). I notice the decline of top California teams (Stanford (8), UCLA (15) & USC (NR)), and admire the resurgence of Notre Dame. I see, with much chagrin, that ‘Satan’ continues to achieve success in Alabama and wonder, sometimes, is he getting ready to leave the in the lurch, as he has to so many others? On the Pros side, I believe the Lions (4-7) are cooked; they've lost their last three games and seem to have no answer for any team they face. The Giants are sitting pretty (7-4) on top of their division and the world is theirs to lose. The Bucs (6-6) are an enigma to me; they show greatness one week and then come unhinged the next; I’ll wait a couple of more weeks to either declare them cooked or put my hopes up. And then there are the Dolphins; they got beat by the Patriots this past week-end and I think they are done, cooked, if not numerically at least psychologically; they’ll also have to wait ‘til next year!

Reading several books at the same time… As I finish them, I will let you know the ones I like…

Food for thought…
“We have never stopped sin by passing laws; and in the same way, we are not going to take a great moral ideal and achieve it merely by law.”

- Dwight D. Eisenhower

So, stay lawful (as long as it makes sense), my friends…

0015 - 01NOV2012 - "Freddie"

Freddie… We first met Fred and Theresa Crosno in April 1992, when they moved to their brand new house, next door to ours, in Sawgrass Estates North, Sunrise Florida… They were newlyweds, full of fun and life, in their mid 20s, ready to take on the world… Although Jan and I had two kids and two part-timers, that did not preclude us from getting to know them well, for them to become a fixed feature in all the parties we had, and for Freddie to become more important to Alex (then 3) and Leah (then 2) than Barney, the purple dinosaur… We used to have the meanest volleyball games in their backyard and then cool off in our pool; we also used to have the best slip-n-slide parties, and then warm up in our whirlpool… Freddie was always smiling, always low key, letting Theresa be the ‘mouth’ and he in the background, easy going, observing… However, there was serious determination behind that smile; I would have chosen Freddie to be in my team whether we were going frog-hunting in the Everglades (his favorite red-neck sport), or to build a house, or to bring somebody in-line; Freddie was the man… A Mechanical Engineer by training with natural ‘tinkering’ abilities, he could fix or rig anything, from a mini-scooter to an air-boat… He was renown in our neighborhood for his creations putting together haunted houses every Halloween… He also played piano and a mean bass guitar… Having been an offensive lineman in High School football, Freddie tipped the scales at about 250ish but could do cartwheels better than anybody (even all suited up coming home from work!)… Years passed and they had three boys (now 17,15,10); we saw them grow from a young couple to an established family… Also went through (and partied through) several storms together, from Andrew in 1992, to Wilma in 2007… We moved to Tennessee in 2009, after 17 years of living next-door to each other, and continued to regard them as highly as always; they came to visit once and to take a look at the Hawks Bluff lot they had bought after we bought ours… Freddie died yesterday, November 30th at 47, of a heart attack. If I ever had someone I considered a little brother, whom I saw grow and prosper, on whom I could count for everything, it was Freddie. His life was cut too short; he was taken too soon; somebody goofed this up! This one hurts!

0014 - 25NOV2012 - 'I am a grandpa'

Family… On Thursday, November 22, Thanksgivings Day, at about 10:30 PM, Damon, my son-in-law, called and said that my Clarissa, my daughter - his wife, was in acting labor and had been admitted to the hospital; the birth of my first grandchild was imminent! That was the date the doctors had given her, and she was right on time... Instead of leaving for South Florida at that very moment, as I had planned, I decided to wait till the morning (too much turkey and a couple of cocktails would have impeded my best performance at that time). I saddled up for South Florida at 7:30 AM on the Jeep (new oil, new filter, new tires…); along the way, I was receiving frequent updates from Damon and Valentina, my 2nd daughter, who is an OB/GYN MD and had flown in for Thanksgiving the day before… As I approached Valdosta, GA (border town between Georgia & Florida) I got an update from Valentina about a complication (baby is not well positioned and they are working on it – keep you posted). About 45 minutes later, there is another update from Valentina: the baby is not turning, regardless of the efforts everybody is putting forth; the doctor in charge recommended a C-section. And about 30 minutes later, on Friday the 23rd day of November, 2012, Dominic Adolfo Stinson came roaring into this world, complete and healthy! Valentina tells me that the new mom is going through the ‘post-script’ of the procedures, doing as expected, and that everything is right! Lots of emotions! I finally made it to the hospital (Mount Sinai, in Miami Beach) driving straight through at about 9:30 PM EST and was able to spend some time with Clarissa Ane, Damon and the baby, who weighed in at 7.02 lbs and 19.5 inches long; only the four of us; excellent time; I carried the baby the whole time. He is a good looking little man with lots of resemblance, so far, to his father. I left them at about 10:30 PM and spent the night in a hotel nearby, in Miami Beach that Jan, Alex and Leah had found for me… Morning came pretty fast and I went back to the hospital at about 7:30 with breakfast for them; little man was trying to eat so Damon and I decided to have breakfast ourselves while the little guy was trying to get some breakfast for himself (‘food’ is still not flowing at full throttle…). After catching up with Damon and stuffing our faces with sausage biscuits and hash browns, we went back to the room and a nurse was giving a bottle to little man to ensure he did not go too hungry… More conversation (again only the three – or should I say the four – of us) I carried the baby most of the time and, after planning our next visits including future split summer vacations for little man between Kentucky (paternal grandparents) and Tennessee, I decided to take off… I thought I would be able to see Valentina but, by 10 AM she was not even up yet and I would have taken another couple of hours for her to show up at the hospital… So, we exchanged hugs and kisses, said our goodbyes and I left at about 10:15 EST. On my way up stopped to see Tom and Char Merriman in Boca Raton; lovely light lunch and even better conversation, which we had to cut short because I needed to keep on going… Stopped by Publix to get some ‘supplies’ and headed back up to the mountains… Lack of sleep played games with me in the early hours of the afternoon and I had to stop about five times between Boca Raton and Orlando… But then I got into my groove, received and update from Damon that 'food' is plentiful now and little man is happy, listened to the Gators beat the living lights of a wannabe Florida school, and made it back home a little after midnight; exhausted but satisfied… The Jeep was a trooper and held up pretty well the almost 2,000 miles in about 42 hours… All is well!

0013 - 21NOV2012 - Happy Thanksgivings!

Sports… I believe I am a normal guy because, like most other people I know, I don’t understand – at all – how the BCS works… All I know is that the Gators won and that made it a good Saturday… NFL-wise, the only highlight for me this past week-end were the Bucs; everybody else I care for, either did not play (the Giants) or really stank up the joint (Dolphins & Lions)…

Family… Pancho, our 6 years old Alaskan malamute mutt, loves the outdoors and one of his favorite activities, especially in this weather (a crispy 33 outside), is to run in one direction and without looking back… He tricked his Daddy this past Saturday morning, again, and as I was letting Bella and Bo out, Sir Gooffalot (a.k.a. Pancho - who prefers his Mommy to let him out) stealthily came down the stairs and hit the sliding door in stride as I was opening it, and off he went… I only wish he had the ability or inclination, like the other two, to go out and run and play, and do their ‘business’ and, eventually come back; he could have fun and we could feel at ease that he would be safe… But nooo… He just does not come back when we would like him to; he comes back when and if he’s ready… That morning it took his Mommy to go out and call him and offer him to go for a walk, for him to come out of the bushes and get leashed after about 30 minutes of roaming… He spent the rest of the morning with a grin in his face like saying ‘I got to go out and - look at me - I am still alive; I didn't get yelled at or nuttin’ like that, and I got a treat for coming back!’…

Going to South Florida anytime now… My first daughter is expecting her first child on Thanksgivings Day. Trying to time things properly, I've asked her to let me know when she’s admitted to the hospital and, at that time, I’ll saddle up and start driving to Miami Beach (Mount Sinai General Hospital) and hopefully I am there 13 hours later to see her, my son-in-law, and my newly born first grand-baby.  Once that task is accomplished, I’ll turn around and head back home!

Last, but not least, my two younger daughters will be coming home for Thanksgiving… The youngest one, Leah, does not get out of work until 6:30 PM EST on Wednesday; at that time she’ll drive to Atlanta, spend the night with her sister, and then the two of them will come home early on Thanksgivings day… I have a lot to be thankful for and I wish the same for you who read this…

Political Reality… Looking for things that, in my opinion, could be worthwhile talking about, and finding very little… I don’t want to talk anymore about Petraeus (breaks my heart), Mitt’s continuing to stick his foot in his mouth (and now all sort of Republicans seem to find him ‘inadequate’), the Benghazi fiasco and how a man whom I have admired for the last 30 years, John McCain, is seeking justice on the ‘loss of four Americans’ however says nothing about 40 American lost in Afghanistan – in a senseless war that he supported – since the Benghazi attack took place… Are those four more important that these 40? Very disappointing…

Quote of the week… “Thanksgiving speaks in clear, crisp tones of forgotten terms, like integrity - bravery - respect - freedom - discipline - sacrifice - godliness.”

- Charles R. Swindoll

So, reflect and be thankful, my friends…

0012 - 13NOV2012 - "Say it ain't so..."

Sports… My goodness gracious! Thank God for portable defibrillators! Michigan and Florida could not pull any more dramatic squeakers than the ones they managed to win this past Saturday… My heart stopped and re-started several times… And then there was the Alabama/Texas A&M game where the Aggies dethroned Nick ‘Satan’ and his sorry bunch… But then came the heartaches in the NFL… Only the Bucs showed up; Dolphins, Giants and Lions were simply awful! Last, a big thanks to the Saints for beating Atlanta; the undefeated 1972 Dolphins are still intact!

“Say it ain’t so”… Folks, I need help; I am almost in life-support here… First, about two months ago, somebody whom I thought was the greatest athlete – and greatest story - of the last quarter century, Lance Armstrong, was publicly called out as a doper, and stripped of every major title/championship he ever won. His silence and absence of defense spoke very loud about his perceived guilt and his persistent cheating, for years. That was an almost unsustainable blow. Now this past week, one of the greatest military minds of our times, one of the most effective US Army Generals of our times, one of the brightest minds to come out of West Point in recent memory, comes out and resigns from public life due to having engaged in an extra marital affair that, in his judgement, would render him ineffective as Director if the CIA… Good grief! What would be next? That all Muhammad Ali greatest victories were fixed? Or that ‘the Donald’ is mentally deranged? (Just kidding, folks; we know already about that! I needed to add some humor to a very sad situation).

Political Humor… A little while back I cited a story of a US Congressman from a congressional district in Georgia who said that evolution was just ‘hog wash from hell’ or something like that… Well, I just heard that he ran unopposed and, therefore, won a reappointment to the US Congress for two more years; however, the report also said that there were over 4,300 write-in votes for – care to guess? - Charles Darwin! Is this the greatest country, or what?!

Quote of the week… “The same people that put cement shoes on Mitt, expected him not only to float but to out-swim everybody!”

Joe Scarborough, TV Host and Former US Congressman (R) - Florida

So, when you are painted into a corner ensure there is a way out, my friends…

0011 - 07NOV2012 - "The Day After"

Politics... Here is my final assessment on this past presidential election (like if it would change anything, right?): The Good Old Party, as we all have known it, must change in order to come back to a place where it can provide a viable alternative for the majority and, as such, become majority again… IMHO, the Republican Party allowed some faction of its constituency to hijack the party and take it to a place (too far to the right) where it would not appeal to most of us… And once there, they took quite a formidable candidate – Mitt Romney – a man with a Midas touch to turn things around, one of the most successful business-men that has been a presidential candidate in the last 40 years, a moderate and compassionate man who knew, viscerally, that he needed everybody on-board (diversity) in order for anything to work; they forced him to go so far to the right and sound so sectarian to win the Primaries (i.e. Severe Conservative and Self Deportation), that he could not recover; he could not convince people that he was not as extreme as he had sounded; he could not effectively come back to a more centrist – and natural for him - position thus appealing to more moderate voters without sounding to be too much of a flip-flopper… Mitt was dealt a horrible hand by his own Party! I hope this become a case study in future Political Sciences curricula…

Food for thought… (I think I cited this one before, but it applied again…)

“All extremism is toxic”

- Anonymous

So, keep your balance, my friends…

0010 - 06NOV2012 - We'll be just fine!

Sports… Mixed weekend… On College Football the Gators won again and that makes the world better; the Hurricanes also on and that was good… On the pros side it was a mixed bag… The Dolphins and Giants managed to lose their games; the Bucs and Lions won their games outright. Good show!

Local… My hunting season is here… Muzzleloader season for deer started this past Saturday and, although I have not been out there yet, I will be going hunting sometime this week… Jan and I decided that, even though as a licensed hunter I am entitled to take 14 deer (11 does and 3 bucks), and we usually consume three deer a year, this season I will try to take four since we've found ourselves liking it more and more… 

Politics… We’ll be just fine! I am a firm believer that either one of these two gentlemen who may become President will do just fine; I’m convinced they both have the same goal: to make this country better; they only may differ on some details on how to achieve that goal, that’s all… You see, when all is said and done, we have a strong political system with enough checks and balances that would allow not one branch of government to overpower the other two and send the country into mayhem. And if things go really wrong, there are enough tools and mechanisms to change the rules of the game (we've changed it twenty seven times in the last 236 years, as needed). What I’d like to see is that, whoever wins, has the support of all 300 Million American to ensure that their policies and ways to govern got the very best of tries; if it works, there will be lots of happy people in this country; if it doesn't work, we will wait another four years and start all over, as we've done it now close to 50 times…

Some trivia for you… The word ‘mayday’ used by air and sea vessels to broadcast imminent disaster comes from the French expression m’aidez – meaning help me – and it is pronounced, approximately, mayday.

Food for thought… “There's never been a problem Americans couldn't solve. We are the world's leaders, and leaders don't fear change.”

- John McCain, US Navy Officer, War Hero and US Senator

So, stay confident on our future, my friends…

0009 - 01NOV2012 - "Sandy"

Sports… Basketball is back (and Hockey is not!). The Miami Heat started to defend its crown by beating (again!) the Boston Celtics. As some of you may know, basketball season does not start for me until the playoffs, but I had to recognize the Champions! Oh, and I don’t follow college basketball until the big dance (March Madness). So, we will stick to football for the foreseeable future…

Politics… We’ll have plenty to write about next week…

Sandy… So, Sandy came out of the South Caribbean as a small tropical system with the chances of becoming a hurricane, but only a category one at that (just a cat 1 like Wilma, remember?)… It would be affecting Jamaica and Cuba and would eventually come into the Atlantic with a likely NE trajectory; finally it would become a sub-topical system and would dissipate into the North Atlantic… And as we all know now, it turned out to be the most devastating storm the North East of the USA has ever known, the second most expensive natural disaster ever in North America’s recorded history - second only to Katrina, according to preliminary estimates - and the second year in a row that the NE is severely affected by severe storms (Irene last year)… If you still think that the scientist are just a bunch of wolf criers, and that burning fossil fuels (coal and hydrocarbons) the way we've been doing in for the last 100 years does nothing to the atmosphere, you are either lamentably ignorant, or ideologically shortsighted (drill, drill, drill, baby!) or you need to head back to your doctor and have your prescription re-issued (and refilled!).

On as related subject, though different perspective, some folks were complaining in an on-line forum about the facts that ‘so much publicity is given to the damages Sandy did to the US but little is said about the damages it caused in the Caribbean’… As you can imagine, the range of comments and responses is vast and wide. Some of them, however, were worth a second look, like this one where a guy said (semi tongue-in-cheek): “the problem is that, while the estimated cost of Sandy to the US is preliminarily about $50B, the damage to the Caribbean was about 17 (or maybe 18) coconut trees – big deal!” You can imagine all the nasty responses this one got… Another one I found interesting (close to home), was related to a devastating fire and subsequent explosions (very costly on money and lives) that happened about three month ago in the biggest oil refinery in Venezuela; this guy said: “Why are we so taken with ‘our Caribbean brothers and sisters’? When the refinery burnt, only the EU and the US promised – and delivered - help and assistance while none of our Caribbean brothers and sisters even sent a telegram of condolences, let alone help…”
Regardless of what the doomsayers may say, my friends, we continue to lead by example and are still the Shining City on the Hill!

Quote of the week… “I have thousands of people hurting, cold, and hungry to worry about; I have entire cities devastated and destroyed. If you think I give a damn about presidential politics at this time, you don’t know me.” New Jersey Governor Chris Christie answering a question from A FOX reporter prompting him to criticize Obama and FEMA. Watch this man; he’s going far…

Food for thought… (Recently stolen from Hiram Perez, who was my first supervisor @ IBM 37 years ago…)
“You know what getting married is? It's agreeing to taking this person who right now is at the top of his form, full of hopes and ideas, feeling good, looking good, wildly interested in you because you're the same way, and sticking by him while he slowly disintegrates. And he does the same for you. You're his responsibility now and he's yours. If no one else will take care of him, you will. If everyone else rejects you, he won't. What do you think love is? Going to bed all the time?”

-Jane Smiley, novelist (b.1949) 

So, choose wisely, my friends…

0008 - 29OCT1012 - "Cold Civil War"

Sports… The Tigers were swept by the San Francisco Giants; the best pitcher in all baseball (Verlander) was pounded into submission in the first and only game he saw action in, and the best batter in several generations (Cabrera) stroke out looking, to make the last out of the last game… Who would have thought, after they seemed to be so strong against the A’ and Yankees? Oh well, the season was successful (better than 28 other teams) and there is always next year… The Gators lost and dropped from #2 to #8; nothing else is worth talking about in College Football… But in the Pros, brother did we have a weekend: Bucs, Lions, Dolphins and Giants all gave a good account of themselves… Good stuff!

Politics…New concept: “Cold Civil War”. Since the elections in the year 2000, when questions about 537 votes were left unanswered in Florida and bitterly contested elections results were never brought to proper closure for the benefit of the whole country, there has been this growing animosity, resentment, mistrust and plain old contempt between Democrats and Republicans, between Liberals and Conservatives, where they cannot stand each other and cannot ‘stomach’ the concept of working with each other, get something done, lest the other side get any credit for anything (oh no, that would amount to legitimizing them!). That ‘war’ is what has paralyzed the country, not Washington… We all blame Washington, as if “Washington” was this being with life of its own that comes out of an xBox, or Wii game; Washington is merely the tip of the iceberg which actually holds the whole Cold Civil War being fought on all 50 states, in all 2951 counties/64 Parishes (LA)/18 boroughs (AK), and in all the Federal Territories and Dependencies too numerous to name here… Now, how do we end this Civil War? I don’t know… All ideas are welcome…

Local… Went to the annual Hawks Bluff Halloween Extravaganza this past week-end… There were witches and warlocks, Bavarian Herr and Frau, French Courtesans, Country Singers, inmates, Ceasars, Cleopatras, busty country girls, pirates, gypsies, ‘cereal’ killers, grape bunches, etc… There were about six or seven types of soups, all delicious and perfect for the chilly weather, sausage and kraut, several types of cheese cakes (Pam’s pumpkin cheesecake was superb!); there was also live entertainment (country guitar music by Johnny Cash and ‘Captain Death’) and, overall, it was great! Thanks to the host and hostess and to all who contributed to make it a special affair…

On another subject, my thoughts and prayers go to the folks (some friends, some family, most unknown) in the North Eastern seaboard and wish them best of luck with Hurricane Sandy… One more reason I consider myself lucky to be living here where we live. Hope damage is minimal and recovery is fast!

Trivia… Of the 56 signers of the US Declaration of Independence, only two people signed on July 4th: John Hancock and Charles Thomson; most of the rest signed on August 2, and the last signature wasn't added until 5 years later. Only one was catholic, Charles Carroll, and seven were foreign born; 25 were lawyers and there was one scientist: Ben Franklin.

Food for thought… 
“You spend years wishing your parents would get off your back only to realize they are the only ones that ever really had your back.”

- Anonymous 

So, appreciate them while you have them, my friends…

0007 - 24OCT2012 - I VOTED!

Sports… The Tigers swept the Yankees… Oh nooo! Oh well, the consolation for me is that I also like the Tigers and that the Venezuelan boys did very well… Now it will be the Tigers against the stinkin’ Giants! On college football, the Gators won (and that’s all that matters!); and, on yes, Michigan beat Michigan State; ho-hum… Regarding the Pros, Eli shone again – what a game!- but the Bucs and Lions lost (what Lions? Did they show up except in the last two minutes?)…Dolphins did not play…

Politics… On the 2^nd Presidential debate, MSNBC: “the President – without a doubt - won this exchange; what a comeback!” FOXNEWS: “Mitt was flawless; superb performance again; clearly two for two!” (And how dared Candy Crowley interject a fact? What a nerve! Where is Jim Lehrer when you need him?)… IMHO neither one of those assertions made by those two (news or mouthpiece?) networks come close to what I saw and heard. Either I was watching something else (I really wanted to watch the Yankees/Tigers game), or my understanding/comprehension of the English language is not where I thought it was… The President was much better this time than in his first debate (how could he have been worse?) and, by being engaged and engaging, performed as expected; and Mitt held his own, steady and articulate, also as expected. On the other hand, the President could not clearly put any positive/attractive spin to his record or his plans (?), and Mitt could not find his way out of a paper bag when it came to immigration, women issues and Libya; furthermore, neither one of them had any credible facts as of how they intend to perform magic to balance the budget – neither one of their shell game adds up (maybe they are counting on miracles like the multiplication of the fish and bread that happen about 2,000 years ago in Galilee)…Bottom Line: high in histrionics and low, very low, on facts (as opposed to misrepresented numbers) on both sides!

On the 3^rd debate, there seems to have been a concerted effort for both candidates to appear to be on the same presidential/commander-in-chief/level headed page. All I saw was Obama trying to attack Romney from each and every angle (two debates too late!) and then I swear I heard Romney say “I am ready to endorse you, Mr. President”… Don’t really know now what to make of it…

Well, it is all done! I voted already! So, even if Trump proves that Obama was born in Timbuktu, or if Harry Reid proves that Mitt got tax refunds for five out of the last seven years, it does not matter!

Trivia… The phrase "rule of thumb" is derived from an old English law, which stated that you couldn't beat your wife with anything wider than your thumb. Hmmm…

Food for thought…

“A politician speaks of the next election - a statesman, of the next generation.”

 - James Freeman Clarke

So, listen carefully, my friends…

0006 - 15OCT12 - Soap box...

Sports… The Tigers are already killing my Yankees (2-0). The Yankees have been my team forever (I was born during the 6^th game of the 1952 World Series when the Yankees beat the Giants – again); on the other hand, although I have admired the Tigers since the late ‘60s, I’ve come to appreciate them more in recent years, and they have several Venezuelan players in their roster, one of them being the triple-crowned Miguel Cabrera… That means that I will be rooting for the American league in the coming World Series… Football-wise, went to Rome, GA this past weekend to watch a game between the Ave Maria University Gyrenes (Div. III) and the Shorter University Hawks (Div. II). You see, #77 of the Gyrenes (Gyrenes, by the way, it is an old – circa 1894 - yet valid name for Marines), their Left Offensive Tackle, on the blind side, is Jesse Temperilli, my confirmation God-son; the Gyrenes lost, but #77 made a superb account of himself! On the NFL, Dolphins, Bucs, and Giants won and Dallas lost; all is good! The stinkin’ Jets and Bills won; all bad! The Gators (new #2, baby!) took care of business against a local favorite, Vandy …and, oh yes I almost forgot, UM North and Michigan State also won, while UM South lost (‘Noles don’t matter)…

Politics… No comments on the VP debate (does it really matter?) Looking forward to the next Presidential debate tomorrow…

Soap Box Issue: Health Insurance… When my first daughter was born, 32 years ago, my out-of-pocket costs were $10, out of a total of over $1,400; when my last one came around, 11 years later, my out-of-pocket was over $3,700 (and I forgot the total cost!). A friend of mine’s daughter recently went to the hospital with an unidentified pain; after four hours of tests and treatment, her bill was $25,000. My 3^rd daughter, brand new in the work force and as healthy as a 22 years old can be, can only afford insurance with a deductible of about 6.67% of her annual gross salary (Obama would have to pay $27,000 and Mitt about a cool $2,000,000 out-of-pocket before their insurance would kick in; what are the odds of that?). A hospital in the West Coast bills the insurance companies $4,200 for an MRI; the negotiated discount rate (what the hospital gets from the insurance company) is $2,200 (and they get to declare the other $2,000 as loss); however, a walk-in patient can get one done, as long as they pay cash, for $200. So, if they can do it for $200, and still make money, why do they bill $4,200 to start with? You ask a doctor about the costs, and they tell you that it is driven by the cost of insurance; you ask a hospital and they tell you that the costs are driven by the cost of insurance and the cost of caring for the indigent; everybody is making money hand over fist, and the ones making the most, in obscene fashion, are the insurance companies… Now, there are many good people among us who say there is no need for Health Care Reform and oppose it vehemently; they argue that, with a deregulated market and open competition (more deregulated and open that now, how?) these same insurance companies will take care of ‘self-regulating’ and ‘the market forces’ will bring the cost of Health Care to a level affordable by all… Never been one to indulge in, but I certainly would love to take a hit – or two - of whatever they are smoking!

Trivia… For those of us who think we do not have enough diversity and that we are not a melting pot of all sorts of people, I have this story for you: did you know that there is a Medical Doctor who is also an US Representative for an electoral district in Georgia who said – in a public gathering - that the whole evolution theory is “hog wash from the pit of hell” and that the earth is only 9,000 years old, as the Bible implies? This is an US congressman saying this, ladies and gentlemen… Do we have them in all kinds, sizes and colors, or what? Furthermore, and here is the kicker, this US Congressman sits in the US House Select Committee for the Advancement of Science and Technology; do you think are we going anywhere fast in this area? You be the judge…

Food for thought…

“Not gold, but only man can make a people great and strong; men who, for truth and honor's sake, stand fast and suffer long.”

 - Ralph Waldo Emerson

So, keep your values straight, my friends…

0005 - 08OCT12 - "...and down the stretch they come"... (for Elections and Baseball)

Sports…“…there is an event about to take place (one of the rarest in all sports) which has not happened since 1967: a winner of the baseball Triple Crown which means leading the league in batting average, Runs Batted In, and home-runs. The 3^rd baseman of the Detroit Tigers, Miguel Cabrera, is about to achieve that…”  And he did it! Continuing with baseball, the team from Atlanta will be renamed, from Braves (they don’t deserve that name) to Wannabes; they just don’t – uh – amount to anything… Oh, and the fans were very classy, indeed, with the show they put on at the end of the game, pouting and littering the field… Moving on, so far the Divisional Series, both leagues, have been great! Football: Dolphins finally won; Eli and the Giants were something else (Bucs and Lions did not play); good game last night between Saints and Chargers… Some last words: GO GATORS, baby!

Politics… If you ever hear me talking about political analysis again just shoot me! Here are the points I thought were mandatory to talk about in this first presidential debate, and I was sure (I would have bet the house on it!) somebody would bring them up:

·         Foreign Affairs (The Libya debacle – isolated incident or the real status?)

·         The economy (are we better off?)

·         The 47% (what precisely is the meaning/concept here?)

·         Health Care (Obamacare vs. Romneycare – differences and similarities)

·         Immigration Reform

·         Tax Code reform (or lack of disclosure of tax returns)

·         Gay rights

·         Birth control

Only three, the ones highlighted, were brought up by the contenders or the moderator (was there really one?), and two of them only partially… Oh well. That ought to tell you something about my political analysis prowess…

Here are some political quotes from this past week:

From the Obama side: “Are we better off today than four years ago? You bet! This guy took over as Captain of the Titanic after it had hit the iceberg and we are not only still afloat but are gaining steam!”

From the Romney side: “Obama spent the first two years of his term, when he had a blank check (a Democrat congress), pushing Obamacare down people’s throats. If he really cared so much about the middle class, why didn't he push for jobs?”

Trivia… Did you know that the only two days of the year in which there are no professional sports games (MLB, MLS, NBA, NHL, or NFL) are the day before and the day after the Major League All-stars Game?

Food for thought…

“If we consistently act on the optimistic hypothesis, this hypothesis will tend to be realised; whilst by acting on the pessimistic hypothesis we can keep ourselves for ever in the pit of want.”

- John Maynard Keynes

(From 'Essays in Persuasion') 

So, stay/think/act positive, my friends…

0004 - 01OCT2012 - Times are achanging...

So, this past Friday, September 28^th, 2012 we held the 1^st Annual Wine & Cheese festival in the Bluff… You see, during this time of the year, one of our favorite events in the world is being held: the EPCOT Wine & Food festival, which we used to attend every year when we lived in Florida and now we’ve missed for two years in a row. So, we decided to honor that feeling or mind set and hold our own version up here on the Plateau… Friends and neighbors brought a preferred wine with an accompanying preferred cheese and (at Pat Ross’ relentless insistence) presented it to the rest of the wine drinkers and cheese eaters… To my satisfaction, and a little bit of a surprise, my preferred wines turned out to be a couple of whites, Pinot Gris and Country White, made by a local winery: Stonehaus in Crossville; they were great! Other wines (actually, all the ones I sampled) were between good and very good and the cheeses were excellent. But what made it special, truly special, was the people and the fact that our Leah drove up from Gainesville, FL and joined us! This will be repeated! Here are some photos…

I am almost ready to stop watching and chronicling anything about football… Another awful weekend! The Dolphins, Bucs and Lions all lost their games and, to top it off, the Giants also lost! I am almost done, folks! The only thing that is keeping me still alive, on the proverbial football respirator, is that the Gators did not lose this past Saturday (they did not play) and UM won (that’s University of Miami). Rough, rough times, I’m not gonna lie to you… On the other hand, the baseball playoffs are almost here and some of my preferred and favorite teams are in; furthermore, there is an event about to take place (one of the rarest in all sports) which has not happened since 1967: a winner of the baseball Triple Crown which means leading the league in batting average, Runs Batted In, and homeruns. The 3^rd baseman of the Detroit Tigers, Miguel Cabrera, is about to achieve that…

We are starting one of the best times up here in the Plateau: the changing of colors! All shades of yellow, orange, and red are starting to show and blend… And, when you add the changes in the weather, getting into the 40s at night and up to 70 during the day, it really makes is simply glorious! For those of you who are here, enjoy and treasure. For those who are not, wish you were here!

So, where the heck is Jimmy Hoffa? That’s a rhetorical question, folks… Those of you who know (under the I-43 & I-794 bypass in Milwaukee, right?) will keep it quiet, as you've done for decades; those of you who do not, but pretend to, will continue to lead the cops on wild geese chases…

Some interesting points to look for in the upcoming presidential debate on Wednesday, October 3^rd…

•      Foreign Affairs (The Libya debacle – isolated incident or the real status in the Middle East?)
• The economy (are we better off?)
• The 47% (what precisely is the meaning/concept here?)
• Health Care (Obamacare vs. Romneycare – differences and similarities)

There may be some others topics like Immigration Reform, Tax Code Reform (or absence of tax fillings disclosure), Gay Rights, Birth Control…

And now, food for thought:

“Undertake something that is difficult; it will do you good. Unless you try to do something beyond what you have already mastered, you will never grow.” 

- Ronald E. Osborn

So, stretch your goals, my friends…

0003 - 26SEP2012 - The Transition Continues...

Mike LaPointe is the name of the good person who takes the time, effort and dedication to be mowing around Hawk’s Bluff phase I. Many, many thanks Mike and Brenda! Also, regarding the issue of a business opening on Hawk’s Bluff Phase I, it appears that Paragraph 14 of our covenants grants the developer, for as long as they own at least one lot, the rights to give any owner a release from any of the covenants and a waiver of any violation, if any occurred. Rocco still owns several lots in Phase I, so he has the rights to adjudicate releases and waivers. In other words, as long as the Warners got from Rocco a release from the covenants, the Warners have the rights to do whatever they want in their lot…

Good grief! This past week of football was simply awful… The Dolphins, Bucs and Lion all lost good games that they should have won; especially the Dolphins missing several field goals and the Lions going for that ill 4^th down were horrible! The only bright light is that, on Thursday night, when nobody gave them a chance, Eli and the Giants dismantled the Carolina Panthers… On the college side, the Gators won (and MSU also won, but only Chuck cares about that) and Michigan lost; Michigan lost to Notre Dame; Notre Dame beat both of them (Michigan and Michigan State); Father Tony could not be any happier… Oh well, there is always next week!

After a horrible week of NFL football, the cork on the bottle was that game on Monday night when the Packers were robbed of a game, plain and simple; I am not a Cheese Head, but that was a felony!… Some purists may say that it is the Packers fault because they would have never let the game come to that situation… Well, does that mean that, unless you are winning by several possessions, you have the risk to have the game taken away from you? That’s B. S.!

Fall is here! This past 22^nd we bid good bye to one of the mildest summers we have had since 2008 and, from that point on, we have had glorious weather… It’s been sunny, clear, dry and cool (from 40s to 60s). Not bad!

So Jan and I are trying to incorporate walking into our daily routine… We are rediscovering muscles we forgot we had, and now they come with aches and pains… Ahhhh, the glorious experiences of growing young… We try to walk for, at least, ½ hour a day (from our house to DeSalvo’s and back – 1.5 miles door to door) with the plans of increasing it 5 minutes each week until we get to 1 hr.

Recommended book: “Mila 18”, by Leon Uris. Taking as context the Nazi invasion of Poland in 1939, and specifically, the institution of the Warsaw ghetto, Uris masterfully inserts characters who take us through the struggles of the Polish resistance and the day-to-day life and survival – including romance - in and outside the ghetto.

And now, food for thought:

“None are as old as those who have outlived enthusiasm.”  

- Henry David Thoreau

So, stay young, positive and enthusiastic, my friends (it actually costs the same!)

0002 - 17SEP2012 - The Transition begins...

There has been a question circulating, via e-mail, amongst some of us Bluffites… It has to do with one of our neighbors in Phase I converting their property into a nature farm and opening it up a business. The question has literally been ‘Is anyone concerned about this?’ It includes the link to the mentioned business http://bakermountainfarm.com/index.html.  There have been some answers (six to be precise) with different levels of acceptance or tolerance; no expressed definite concerns at this time. I guess that folks have other more important things to worry about… Personally, I’d rather not see it there since it goes against the Hawks Bluff covenants we all signed and bought into. Others are of the opinion that, as long as the farm is not detrimental to the community and it does not become a nuisance, there’s nothing to worry about. Regardless of our opinions, whether we are bothered (or not) by the existence of the farm as a business within Hawk’s Bluff, there is a danger of precedent setting. If we all passively allow this breach of covenant, one of these days another neighbor/owner may decide to open up a pig farm or an animal hide tanning facility (both stinky as hell!), which are also against the covenants, and we would have lost all moral authority to object. (Sue Taylor mentioned the idea of a brothel… You go, Sue!) 

Gators beat Tennessee – convincingly - and Michigan came back to the winning ranks… All is good in the world! The rest is miscellaneous like FSU beating the Little Sisters of Wake Forest or the ‘Canes beating the Blind Saints of Bethune-Cookman, yeah, yeah, yeah… FSU is ranked higher than the Gators; however they have not beat (or have in their schedule) a top 20 ranked team; wassup with that? On the other side, MSU (Michigan State University, for those of you outside if the Midwest) battled with Notre Dame to a painful loss. Father Tony Mulderry is happy (the Irish won); my friend GPCharles less happy; oh well. On the Pros side, the Dolphins won (yeah!) proving that miracles do happen, and then very mixed emotions with the Giants win at the expense of my Bucs… The stinkin’ Jets did not play Tebow and lost; serves them right! And later, the Lions lost to the 49ers in a game in which only the 4^th quarter was worth watching since that’s when the Lions showed up…

Ahhh… Dove hunting… Humility at its best… Went hunting and this time there were only two of us: a local kid by the name of Ethan Hillis, 22 years old, he has been hunting since he was two, got his first shotgun when he was five; and then there was I, a guy who started two years ago, never having shot anything on the fly!… He got ten doves; I got seven; very respectable I would say. Ethan graciously gave me his doves; I cleaned them up and now I have available 34 bites of dove breast (one breast per dove; two bites per breast). I have to say that my seven doves came on 1 ½ box of shells, giving me a ratio of 36:7 or roughly a ‘batting average’ of .194, mediocre for Base-ball standards, but almost normal for dove hunting standards, and pretty damn good for me!

So, some marginal right wing extremist, a low-life with a criminal record, produces a homemade movie in which he expresses views offensive to all and especially to Islam believers; he publishes it to the Internet via YouTube. Some small groups in some Islamic countries  launch protests in front of American Embassies and consulates; some particular militia (out of the over 40 known) in Libya decided to do this on the anniversary of 9/11. We lose the ambassador and three other diplomats. Tragic; cannot be allowed; people who are responsible for these acts need to be dealt with swiftly and publicly. And then some amongst us chose this moment of international turmoil to make political attacks; not cool; we fight in-house but we always unite when attacked from outside; ill-conceived and irresponsible leadership. Now, we are all shocked and surprised by these protests; think about this: most of the countries experiencing protests have new democracies. Before the democracies they were ruled and oppressed by ruthless dictators whom we supported for years and decades… Does it come as a surprise to anyone that now, when they find themselves with some freedom and without the US-supported-dictator, some people protests against the US?  As they say on ESPN, c’mon man! It is part and parcel of the whole ‘world power’ gig, and a consequence of the strategy we’ve followed for centuries…

Recommended book (oldie but goodie):”In Search of Excellence” by Tom Peters & Bob Waterman. The by-line reads ‘Lessons from America’s best-run companies’. They found that, regardless of the field they operate in, top companies share the same eight basic principles of management

Some weeks ago, in the ‘Food-for-thoughts’ section, I published an anecdotic dialog between father and son regarding how when you break a plate it gets broken forever and, even after you apologize to it, it remains broken. The actual moral of the story is that words and time are two irretrievable dimensions: once past or spoken, they cannot be reverted.  The ensuing recommendation was to think twice before speaking or writing… As time has passed, I’ve learned there are people for whom thinking twice or more times would not change what they want/need to say at all; they cannot help it; they will say it because saying it is the most important thing to them.

And now more food for thoughts:

“I’d rather be happy than right; that’s the key for 25-plus years of wedded bliss”

 - Ice T, the rapper

So, keep your important things in front of you, my friends.

0001 - 15SEP2012 - The Grand Opening...

In the next few weeks, I will start a transition from the 'Bluffites' blog to this new one... The reasons are many but the most important is a shift in the intentions behind blogging... I opened up 'Bluffites' with the intention of reporting all happening in and around our Hawk's Bluff community. And is has worked well. However, on a self audit I conducted a couple of week ago, I realized that the blog has become more a forum for me to express/share my opinions about everything and that the reporting on Hawk's Bluff has become more and more sparse...So, to be fair tho those who actually read the blog looking for news about their houses or properties or community, I will leave 'Bluffites' just to that and will use this blog as it's name implies, m,y soap box for commentaries, rants, and the like... For a few weeks, I will publish both with the same content and then will segregate 'Bluffites" to its original intent.