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…