tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-40410892180603710512024-02-21T05:40:57.765-05:00Just Blowing Smoke...A belated return to the musings of a scribbler who considers himself an largely unreconstructed Capitalist, a Constitutional Textualist, and a largely unrepentant Stogie Smoking Curmudgeon. With luck, you'll find a bit of insight here, assembled from a logical and reasonable perspective, and served with a side of twisted humor. Be aware that irony and sarcasm may often find their way into these offerings; and it's the reader's obligation to discover where, when, or if they occur.Timothy W Higginshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17118861693269565715noreply@blogger.comBlogger1130125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4041089218060371051.post-71461514078956463722017-09-20T06:00:00.000-04:002017-09-21T08:32:46.164-04:00Santa Letter - 2017<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "segoe script" , sans-serif;">Santa
Claus</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "segoe script" , sans-serif;">c/o
North Pole</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "segoe script" , sans-serif;">Dear
Santa,</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "segoe script" , sans-serif;">I
Know that it seems to nave been a long time since I have written you (time being, of course, a relative term to somebody with your lifespan), but I am writing again a bit these days. However my scrawling's often take more than their normal time to decipher ... and you were on my short list. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "segoe script" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "segoe script" , sans-serif;">It's probably a bit soon to be writing yet, this early in the year anyway, but though Halloween has yet to occur, I could not help myself (even with my pitiful my attempts on with the keyboard makes) are not what they used to be … so
I perhaps I had better start the process a bit early this year, in the hopes that I could get this, at least in some part, complete in what seems a timely fashion. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "segoe script" , sans-serif;">(A more timely fashion for some of us than what it used to be, I admit.)</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "segoe script";"><br /></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "segoe script";"><i>Please note (but only carefully however) that t</i>here are still many, on both sides of the political aisle, who probably should be on the 'naughty' list these days if they are not already (and who could use a heat producing mineral in their stocking), but creating such a lengthy list (let alone wasting the time involved by checking on them twice) seems like a worrisome task for anyone in the circumstance. With all the cities that I have lived in over the years, the whole process is even more confusing, and the list potentially even more cumbersome. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "segoe script";"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "segoe script";">Besides, it's likely that Karma will eventually catch up with all of them eventually anyway, so why let your group take any heat for their eventual downward slide. </span>
<span style="font-family: "segoe script";">I hope that while many (Ok, maybe all) are likely to be in that category anyway, but you' can still give them a seasonal break whether they deserve it or not. (I have no idea how you've managed to get this done over the years, and seemingly every year for one reason or another; and I thank you for the consideration that you are willing to give because of requests, though you (or they) certainly don't owe me anything.)</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "segoe script";"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "segoe script";">Do the best you can as well for my kids and grandkids, (as you always have) and I will be appreciative for whatever you manage to bestow on them. (As I you know, I will be trying to do trying to the same for them as well.) I know that this approaching time is supposed to be all about them after all (in spite of what the commercials will soon be saying about cars and jewelry), and in spite of all the normal seasonal craziness that's going on recently.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "segoe script";"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "segoe script";">I hope perhaps it still will manage to be as so as much as it can.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "segoe script";">For myself however, I find that I have nothing on my list that I really need (a crumpled Post-it note somewhere ... no more, no less) which I won't be able to pass on due to you due to numerous personal handwriting problems (which is, after all, what this effort was supposed to be about originally.) In truth, I recently had some help in reducing my personal inventory (and my personal relative size), and I have no urge to see either begin to reach their former levels. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "segoe script";"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "segoe script";">You probably have an overabundance of such requests on unnecessary things from other folks with lists that I'm sure will help the elves keep busy enough in the time available. So in order to fill this time of year, as the Holiday season approaches; please forget any personal article you that you might think I want , but shouldn't really need anyway. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "segoe script";">You will notice of course (this year) a further notation that my address has recently changed (and is about to again, so they tell me), but I'm sure you know what you need to do in order to find it. The new digs will no doubt be as welcoming as the old ones were, if you get a chance ... or just want to stop by and hang out for a bit. I will probably have to do some work on the egg nog and snack requirements as required, but that's OK with me.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "segoe script";"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "segoe script";">By the way, I shaved off the beard in recent days, not only to avoid potential seasonal job offers and confusion, but also as an unusual change of pace from my usual appearance. The changes are something that you might find entertaining, if not amusing. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "segoe script";">Mostly however, I look forward to the chance of getting together again.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "segoe script";"> </span><br />
<span style="font-family: segoe script;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: segoe script;">Best Seasonal Wishes,</span><br />
<span style="font-family: segoe script;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: segoe script;">Tim</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
</div>
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<br /></div>
<b></b><i></i><u></u><sub></sub><sup></sup><strike><br /></strike>
Timothy W Higginshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17118861693269565715noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4041089218060371051.post-15627075098171345012017-09-05T11:00:00.000-04:002017-09-19T13:31:03.120-04:00Seasonal Employments Hope Abandoned<div>
<span style="color: #990000;"><br /></span></div>
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<i>Long ago, in the last century anyway, I had a cross country coach who taught me how to properly prepare and run a race. He must have succeeded in his lessons, since I set the freshman record for cross country that year. Later in that year, he told me that I would need to make a choice between running and the hockey that I was playing at the time.</i></div>
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<i><br /></i></div>
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<i>I not only left running, but the school that I was in at the end of that year. I went on to Mount Carmel High School in Chicago, where I not only got a better education, but continued to play hockey for three years at an amateur level, and at a high school level.</i></div>
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<i><br /></i></div>
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<i>Of course I also managed to break my nose a couple of times, cracked a few ribs. eventually lost a tooth when a stick was smashed across my face, and fractured the patella in my left knee.</i></div>
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<i><br /></i></div>
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<i>Smart people often tell you smart, and perfectly good things, at the wrong time, and for the wrong reason; ending up with achieving the goal that they least desire.</i></div>
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<i><br /></i></div>
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<i>My hope is that this introductory piece is not just such a misguided effort ...</i><br />
<i><br /></i></div>
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</div>
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------------------------------------------------<i></i><i></i><b></b><i></i><i></i><i></i><i></i><i></i></div>
<br />
With Labor Day now behind us, we have Halloween, Thanksgiving, and of course, Christmas (or Hanukkah) to look forward to. My plans for the Holidays may have changed however, owing to time and circumstance. There was once a time, in fact, when by now, I was already hoping for an application as a 'Santa Substitute' (perhaps for "Victoria's Secret"). Of course there wasn't much actual hope in obtaining such a position, in spite of the fact that my girth had been increasing on a regular basis for a number of years, and my hair and beard were achieving a 'uniform monochromatic color' without the use of any dyes. <br />
<br />
My status with the Social Security Bureau however changed a great deal during the intervening period <i>(no explanation required or forthcoming)</i>. Though my hair color has remained its largely its monochromatic color, my girth has been decreasing steadily in recent days (through no fault of my own, believe me).<br />
<br />
Further change potentially occurred when I relocated back to Columbus, Ohio. Of course, having moved from Chicago, to Kansas City (the first time), to Columbus (also the first time), to Cleveland (for the job), to LaGrange, Georgia, to Toledo (all again for the job), back to Kansas City, and now back into Columbus; one might say that I am a well traveled man by moving companies alone.<br />
<br />
Greater still is the information that has now determined that there are over ninety choices available in terms of gender. (I have been out of circulation a bit, OK I guess.) Now having grown up in the Dark Days when there were only two (this was right after Gutenberg invented movable type), I found that these new and apparently limitless possibilities to be rather confusing. (I can't even imagine the consternation that it might have caused with patrons at Victoria's Secret.) Before any application could be received (or as usual .... not), I was forced to reject it, or even consider it.<br />
<br />
<i><span style="color: black;">One<span style="color: #990000;"></span> cannot but note in passing, that if such rules had been followed during 'Old Testament' times, that Noah might have needed a bigger boat to work with.</span></i><br />
<div>
<i><span style="color: black;">(I'm just saying ...)</span></i></div>
<div>
<i><br /></i></div>
Imagine then my concern however, when I realized could that with over ninety choices in the potential recommendation list of gifts, it would be a nearly impossible task. The potential hazard of faulty choices could increase disappointment of those involved (the parents, not the children); if not ultimately produce potential personal litigation.<br />
<br />
I am now faced with the choice of either a early seasonal reduction of the size of the beard, the removal thereof; or to face the disappointed looks of nearby 'crumb crunchers' for months to come over my appearance. (The potential of disappointed patrons of Victoria's Secret is something that I have yet to consider the ramifications!) Acceptance of such supposed 'theories' (which have yet to show me proof and are liable to change) leaves me in a position where I don't know whether I want to scream, laugh hysterically, or both ... alternately.<br />
<br />
Since I no longer have a column for a weekly in a newspaper, nor a career in connecting the printing press with the loading dock at a daily newspapers, nor even one of selling machines that put inserts into newspapers, nor even one as simple as putting magazines together with staples or selling machines that do (I used to pump gas and check oil years ago as well, but remember we're talking about the last century); the problem of reaching answers to these somewhat amazing, but terribly amusing situations is weighing even more so on me than the current issues political issues of the Middle East, in North Korea, or in which of out last Presidential candidates is in the most trouble with the Congress, the Mainstream Media, or the FBI, (or all three).<br />
<br />
Now I haven't done much of this blogging in a couple of years; and in the time since, have learned that my judgment on many things may, in fact, be far from sound ... through lack of regular use (though I ultimately believe in it). It gives me cause to question such things and obtain (and test) other opinions. Now I have always been willing to listen to such things, but never been known for requiring as to them. Now I may have to try to give it a shot ... in proof that I have changed positively (at least this once). <br />
<br />
I'm not a big fan of encouraging turning random control while writing mode, but what the hell. So while the floor appears to be open, take your best shot ...<br />
<br />Timothy W Higginshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17118861693269565715noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4041089218060371051.post-36891291058134890002017-09-04T07:00:00.000-04:002017-09-04T14:32:03.089-04:00He's Back!<br />
It seems. at least according to the movie previews, that 2017 may be the year of the comeback! At least that's what we should probably take from all of the re-makes, updates, prequels, and sequels that follow all of the latest movies either in production, or those preparing to be shown in theatres around the country. <br />
<br />
Having previously abandoned my so-called electronic life for some period of time (and for what I felt was a good reason), I now find myself with the urge to participate once again in this circus of life, and to perhaps emerge from this previously static state.<br />
<i></i><i><br /></i>
(And such a return seems strangely appropriate during this last Hallmark <i></i><i></i>Holiday of the Summer).<i></i><br />
<br />
My absence from such pursuits has had a good reasons for occurring. I had some recent health situations (that do not bear repeating, even under torture believe me); and the dull-witted excuses I may have long used as an excuse, may in fact, may have become part of the actual reasons for the problem. <br />
<br />
Never allowing reason (in however misguided a form it might seem) to get in the way of anything that I might do or say however, I have put out a call (figurative, of course) to the now largely separated staff of "Just Blowing Smoke (those formerly locked in the attic in Toledo, OH or Mission, KS) to see if an occasional effort of 're-integration' might be possible. Having no will of their own (let along a mind) a number of them have agreed, and I think we can entice most of the rest to do so, once we find them (in their various haunts).<br />
<br />
It is therefore my intention to do so. And in the spirit that all things eventually come back (even the bad movies), to re-open this blog as a consequence.<br />
<br />
It's probably not fair at this point to comment too much about any politics (but I'm sure that I probably will anyway). I also promise to bring back anything and everything else that suits my fancy at any time or need that it requires. I hope that you will be able to enjoy these latest efforts, and will forgive me for the use of mental muscles that have probably gotten flabby from long disuse.<br />
<br />
<br />Timothy W Higginshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17118861693269565715noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4041089218060371051.post-50996998440681298632015-07-01T00:01:00.000-04:002015-07-02T01:42:16.836-04:00Au Revoir Facebook<br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Dictionary.com defines the french term <i><b>Au Revoir</b></i> as <b><i>"goodbye for the present"</i></b>, or <b><i>"until we see each other again"</i></b>. Using it here therefore, seems a doubly fitting way in which use the previous generation of electronic interaction <span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><i>(blogging)</i></span> as a way in which to bid a fond farewell to the latest <i><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">(and probably next soon to be abandoned)</span></i> version of such communication.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Oh don't get me wrong. Facebook has had one a hell of a run. As a method of social networking it has probably grown to level that any but a few of its creators probably would have hoped to give it credit for, to a point where the fortunes generated for those early believers means that none of them actually needs credit again. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Unfortunately, far too many of us <span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><i>(their willing addicts)</i></span> have taken the unique opportunity provided by the software giant to stay close with friends and family amidst the constant changes and occasional memorable moments of our increasingly separated lives, and turned it into little more than a 24 hour a day version of on-line rudeness, silliness, and non-stop self-aggrandizement. <span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><i>(This effort being no real exception to that rule.) </i></span> </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">In my humble opinion, Facebook has over time, become little more than a Pythonesque Parody of itself <span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><i>(with apologies to Monty)</i></span>. Anything 'social' within its Newsfeed has long since degenerated into a bunch of ill-written and mostly unsubstantiated rumors masquerading as news, copious amounts of unnecessary and unwanted political advocacy, shamefully recycled efforts to gather attention from the originality of others, and shameless attempts to gain a disguised form of advertising. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Further, it has far too often become little more than a venue in which we are all expected to acknowledge and accept partisan prejudice <span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><i>(spewed by both sides and in equal<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"> <span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">amounts</span></span>)</i></span> in the form of mostly recycled or dated memes with a check mark of approbation offered in the same way <span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><i>(and often with the same enthusiasm)</i></span> that we once used to pass on a chain letter. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">When all of the fraud and nonsense is removed from it in</span><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"> fact, little of value remains in the content of the average Facebook News Feed</span> <span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><i>(much like the average daily newspaper)</i></span> and the remainder can be largely ignored <span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><i>(much like the content of the average daily newspaper)</i></span>. That an electronic partnership now appears to be growing between that same obsolete industry and the Facebook News Feed as a 'new source' of pubic information, may in fact prove the uselessness of both in a sordid symbiosis left as an especially ludicrous form of <i>'adding insult to injury'</i>.</span><br />
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">----------------------------- </span></div>
<br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">As I fast approach the end of another decade in my own life however, I find that this realization carries with it an intention to use such a milestone as a threshold. Somewhere between now and that day in fact, I intend to pronounce a Steve Marti<span style="font-size: small;">n </span><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><i><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">'Citizen's Divorce'</span></span> </i></span>on my existing Facebook union.</span> <span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">While few if any may notice my departure <span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><i>(or care)</i></span>, I hope that in doing so, I may at least have the satisfaction of reducing my daily dose of blood pressure medication. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">For those of you so disgusted with my public rejection of these latest societal norms that you feel the need to 'unfriend' me, please feel free to do so if you must. I apologize ahead of time for not noting your personal rejection, but with my failing memory and the planned infrequency of my visits, I will probably find myself limited to a vague regret and a quiet tear as I take notice of an already declining friends list approaching extinction. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">For those few who instead might actually miss my occasional feeble contributions to the social dialogue <span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><i>(both of you)</i></span>, I likewise apologize for appearing to give up so easily on this electronic relationship. Please know that the fault is entirely mine. It's not that my time is so precious that I can't afford to waste some of it, but I that my BULLSHIT detector has become far more troublesome to deal with of late and wading through the Facebook mountains of it in order to get to your efforts may simply have become too difficult to overcome my feeble efforts.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">I intend to make no formal departure announcement beyond this, as doing so would provide far more importance to an event that probably deserves none. Know as well that it's unlikely that I will comment on those rare occasions that I do log on as I go through the electronic detoxification process, since doing so would be counter-productive to my stated mission. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">I will not delete the software or the account however, as I hope to occasionally utilize the service to check on the goings on of family and friends in the way that I thought that the service was originally intended for. As for the rest of you and it my Facebook friends ... </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><i><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Au revoir ...</span></i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"> </span>Timothy W Higginshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17118861693269565715noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4041089218060371051.post-89710067079881304562014-11-14T10:19:00.000-05:002014-11-14T10:19:16.695-05:00TFP Column: Dumb and Dumber-er in politics<div class="wp-caption-text">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">As proof that there is not only a quirky, but perhaps even benignly
evil bit of timing between real life and cinema, it’s hard not to notice
next week’s release of a movie that would have probably have been
better served by being left alone to die long ago: “Dumb and Dumber.”
While it’s perhaps unfair to disparage “Dumb and Dumber To,” film that
has yet to be released <i><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">(although judging by the trailers already out
there, not releasing it would be doing it, its producers, and the
viewing public a favor)</span></i>.</span></span></div>
<div class="wp-caption-text">
<br /></div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
</span></span><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">I’m talking of course, about the occurrence and results of this
week’s mid-term election, where the Republican party attempted to
exhibit the real-life version of the “Dumb …” franchise by attempting to
get away from the stigma of being the ‘Party of No’ by having no
national concept of what it was they stood for. Dumber of course, being
portrayed by the concept of Democrats attempting to show that imitation
is the sincerest form of flattery by running candidates with the same
predilection for ‘hoof in mouth disease’ that the Republicans did during
the previous election cycle.</span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
</span></span><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Proving that it’s often better to be lucky than good however,
Republicans somehow managed to get re-elected a Senator who established
his Kansas residency by claiming to rent a recliner from one of the
constituents in his district. Democrats countered with lunacy straight
out of “Mad Men” that their constituency could fight the ‘War Against
Women’ by telling those of the fairer gender not to worry their pretty
little heads about such complicated things as the economy, unemployment
or foreign policy as long as someone in government would guarantee them a
federal health subsidy for their uterus.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
</span></span><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Republicans promoted change by running the same tired faces that
they’d been showing up with since Clinton, while Democrats attempted to
prove that that the American voter, while blind, misinformed and
generally disinterested, seldom turns out to vote for a slate of
candidates that the national party has already acknowledged as likely to
lose.</span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
</span></span><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Pundits on both sides may debate which candidates committed the
greatest faux pas on this year’s campaign trail, and they’ll have a
surprisingly large and bipartisan list to choose from. One that you
won’t see, however, is the Democratic Party announcement to focus its
money and effort on governors’ races to the detriment of their efforts
in the Senate. <span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><i>(How did that work out for you, by the way?)</i></span></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
</span></span><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">The Senate Minority Leader <span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><i>(soon to be Majority Leader)</i></span> and the
President each held their press conferences Wednesday to discuss the
meeting that they’re going to have later this week about the agenda of
the upcoming lame duck Congressional sessions coming soon. <span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><i>(Only
politicians consider the meetings about their meetings about their
meetings of any real import.)</i></span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><i> </i></span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
</span></span><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Both of these public statements continued to fulfill the promises of
“Dumb and Dumber” by wasting the electorates’ time recapping what we
already knew. Mitch McConnell said that he knew who the President is and
vice versa <span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><i>(thank you Captain Obvious)</i></span>. The President, meanwhile,
reminded us of his continued promises to do something about the nation’s
problems if Congress didn’t <span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><i>(difficult when both were on break to run
for office)</i></span>. Both mentioned their willingness to compromise in such a
way as to make it abundantly clear that neither really was.</span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
</span></span><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Little mention was made about the money involved in this year’s
election, since Democrats spent more than Republicans and <span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><i>(according to
Fox News)</i></span> that the $4 billion total was a fraction of what the nation
spent on Halloween costumes and candy. The only entertainment left out
of today’s session was the one never heard that: “Elections have
consequences.”</span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
</span></span><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Never fear however, the next sequel is just around the corner. By the
end of 2015, the next election cycle will be in full swing again and
most of Congress will return to becoming too busy running for their jobs
again to actually do them. I hear that they’ve even got a working title
for it: “Dumb and Dumber – Bush vs Clinton Again?”</span></span><br />
<br />
<br />
Timothy W Higginshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17118861693269565715noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4041089218060371051.post-70134158459219129752014-09-05T19:09:00.003-04:002014-09-26T05:45:34.335-04:00TFP Column (not quite): Water Water Everywhere<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="color: #990000;"><i><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Sometimes despite the best of efforts, one of my writing efforts doesn't make into the Toledo Free Press. (I know, who would believe such things, but they're true nonetheless.) There are reasons for this, and perhaps even a legendary excuse or two involved involved with such personal lapses. All responsibility for such failures, I assure you, ultimately remain mine.</span></i></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="color: #990000;"><i><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">That being said, I was disappointed enough with this most recent failure to look for an alternative to burying it in a drawer (or filing it in the round cabinet), especially since I believed it to be a respectable (and occasionally clever) effort. Having discovered that the Mayor felt unfettered by the passage of time in telling his side of the story, I decided that I could similarly disregard time and space, drag out the tired platform of a blog that has seen offerings far too infrequently, and let somebody read my side as well. I hope you enjoy it ...</span></i></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0.14in;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Ohio
is a state uniquely blessed with the natural resource of water; on all sides bordered and in many places divided by it. As it has ever been in the world,
owning the access to such resources has often meant power.</span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">While
not finding itself blessed to be on a Great Lake, the building of
dams to create three large reservoirs was instead good enough to grant water power to
Columbus. Control of access to that source granted real negotiating power to the
state capital, power used for many years to improve Columbus's
ability to expand and control its borders with its neighbors.</span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Toledo
was not immune to the lure of 'water power' in its past, often
manipulating its neighbors out of their own access through a
combination of smiling persuasiveness and aggressive arm twisting
that such a need was unnecessary. The few pennies more that such
communities paid to serve Toledo's water power was justified, since
that cost freed them of construction and maintenance of infrastructure that was solely Toledo's
burden to bear.</span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">And
when only a few years ago the Glass City told interested parties
planning the potential location of an inter modal facility in the
region to plan where they would; but it would be the city itself,
with its ability to grant or deny access to water for any such
project, which would in the end decide; that was just the exercise of such power.</span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Like
the child who for years has enjoyed showing off the sharpened blade
of the family heirloom, occasionally even removing it from its
oil-wrapped rags and raising it in a feigned threatening manner.
It's something quite again when the threat becomes real, and the fear
more than merely something to scare the children with.</span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Or
was it?</span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">It
seems that some of the unreasoning panic over the Algae bloom and the
toxin from dying microcystin that occurred may have been more of a
'Chicken Little' episode than first portrayed. As reported on by
Maggie Thurber in Ohio Watchdog.org, the levels of the toxin in the
water supply were such that World Health Organization guidelines stated
that the average person could consume two liters of it per day for a lifetime
without any threat to health. So why the panic? Because it was the WATER DEPARTMENT!</span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Now
back when I first moved to Toledo, the Water Department had a
reputation for being a leper colony of municipal mismanagement. Here
the dead and dying politically; well-connected, but less successful
city employees 'took a window seat' <span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><i>(were left sitting at a chair doing nothing but looking out a window)</i></span> until they could retire or the
world lost interest in them.</span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">This
is not to say that the department deserved no respect, but that it
received little or none from the citizens, as well as the city. It was traditionally and equally disrespected budget-wise
as well. Maintaining infrastructure isn't sexy after all, and few
politicians find traction in trying to drum up votes by
attempting to fix a few pipes that no one will ever see when there's
a dog park or a swimming pool that can be opened.</span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Mostly
however, Water Departments are there so that politicians can do what
politicians do. Those that like to spend money to no real purpose for example, use them to do so. Hence City councilperson Lindsay Webb
would like to spend $175,000 that the city doesn't have on a study it
doesn't need.</span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">The
Mayor however, would like to take it further, make the city's history of 'out of
sight, out of mind' maintenance where the department into a policy for consideration by the state and feds as a 'quality of life
issue'. This is partly because clean drinking water is absolutely in fact a
'quality of life issue', but mostly because making it also shares the blame for its state of deterioration, and the responsibility for its long-term fix. This could mean
millions in assistance from higher levels of government to the city.</span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Best
of all however, the pitiable cries of panic provide cover for those who've long ignored the actual problem and gives voice to those
seeking 'unusual', scientifically impossible, or mindbogglingly bigoted solutions. Stop farmers from fertilizing fields is one
we hear often enough, though EPA regulations have reduced much of the blamed
runoff. My personal favorite however comes from the mewing fringe, hoping to
block the flow of the Great Lakes themselves to prevent upstream
pollution from reaching the Glass City. <span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><i>(I keep waiting for a voices to break out in a stout chorus of South Park's "Blame Canada".)</i></span> </span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Strange to consider that pity may now have replaced what was once the fear of a source of Toledo's power and envy. One cannot help but think of the “The Rime of the Ancient
Mariner” by Samuel Taylor Coleridge, as it foretold of, <i>“Water
water everywhere, nor any drop to drink ...”</i></span></span></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0.14in;">
<br /></div>
Timothy W Higginshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17118861693269565715noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4041089218060371051.post-27875915762878473112014-09-05T19:09:00.000-04:002014-09-05T19:09:30.235-04:00TFP Column: Participation Foreign Policy<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9vJ-WZG6HgXksHJfFpJ9R3BBbBXPUjvT3152tQjNvdCfaBaey3SnY9_fZzzVwEy79osMfhbU4jm03XvIRI7qLcWK3RtnQZx6OvNRA_pTUy377vS5MxyKs2jA1ywaG4que2jV7hFa4zDmj/s1600/tfpLogo.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9vJ-WZG6HgXksHJfFpJ9R3BBbBXPUjvT3152tQjNvdCfaBaey3SnY9_fZzzVwEy79osMfhbU4jm03XvIRI7qLcWK3RtnQZx6OvNRA_pTUy377vS5MxyKs2jA1ywaG4que2jV7hFa4zDmj/s1600/tfpLogo.gif" height="72" width="400" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">One of the things that has always been the most valuable about sports
for young people are the lessons they learn in life that have nothing
to do with the sports themselves. The price involved with sacrificing
individual effort to contribute to a team as one learns to compete as a
part of one, the expense incurred individually and together for
violating the rules of the game, the cost and reward of competing
honorably, of being good losers and, even more important, of comporting
oneself as even better winners are all lessons that I like many learned
on the sporting fields <span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><i>(and the ice rinks)</i></span>. Looking back, they proved
themselves far more significant than the scores of the games, any
personal ability garnered <span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><i>(or lack thereof)</i></span> or any awards won <span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><i>(or lost)</i></span>.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
</span></span><div class="wp-caption alignright" id="attachment_54623" style="width: 160px;">
<div class="wp-caption-text">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
</div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
</span></span><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Of course, we wouldn’t know much about such things these days. Youth
baseball for example, is a game now played first without a pitcher so
that everyone can know what it means to get a hit — not that this is
something which should normally matter because no one’s allowed to keep
score when hits and runs occur anyway. And if some politically incorrect
fool should dare to do so by accident, “mercy rules” will no doubt
bring such an atrocity to a speedy end so that the self-esteem of the
losers won’t be damaged too terribly in the process of defeat that never
really happened.</span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
</span></span><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Such nonsense was painful enough to watch when your children are
involved and even more horrible to talk about in terms of the valuable
ideals being forever lost. It’s absolutely horrifying however to see
this philosophy come to a sort of feckless fruition by watching our
nation’s leaders apparently using the same rules when playing at foreign
policy around the world.</span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
</span></span><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Having fallen prey to a form of foreign policy participation in which
your goal is “not to do anything dumb,” or “to do as little damage as
possible,” our current commander-in-chief seems unable to grasp that the
rest of the world cares far more about the scores of such trials and
more than content to tally the score of this particular contest with the severed heads of our players if available, those of nearby
fans if not.</span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
</span></span><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Now don’t get me wrong, I’m as “war weary” as the next citizen,
having watched Democrat and Republican administrations alike fail at
nation-building around the world for far longer than Hasbro had the game
“Risk” for sale <span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><i>(originally released in 1957 under the apt name “The
Conquest of the World” by the way)</i></span>. Ever able to </span></span><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">win the wars, our team
has consistently </span></span> <span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><i>(one might even say unflaggingly)</i></span><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><i> </i></span>proven itself all but
incompetent in its ability to afterward “win the peace.”</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Our “old-school” opponents, however — nations not yet fallen on the
depredations of T-ball and certainly not that of the mercy rule — still
prefer to play a game where the rules say that leaders still lead (and
not from behind) and any game worth playing is worth winning <span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><i>(and not
just strategically exiting the field of play when it seems convenient)</i></span>.
Add in that many of those teams are inspired by a form of religious
zealotry that not only causes them to still believe that God <i><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">(Allah if
you’re being specific)</span></i> is not only on their side, but is personally
inspiring them to greater sacrifice through after-life bonuses and
perhaps you can begin to see how serious and dangerous today’s field of
play has now become.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Not so dangerous however, as the group continuing to call the plays
on our side of the field. Our leaders, graduates of years sensitivity
training and self-esteem nurturing, apparently seem satisfied with
having shown up on the world stage for a bit of participation, but only
as long as such efforts have no long-term effects on the only real game
that counts to them — winning elections.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
</span></span><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">As Tom Hanks famously said in “A League of Their Own”: “There’s no
crying in baseball.” Neither apparently, are there <span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><i>(or should there be)</i></span>
participation trophies in foreign policy. The lines on the world map
may, for the most part, be arbitrarily and artificially drawn from
Ukraine to Iraq, and from Syria to Iran, but the blood being shed and
the thousands lives being lost in the current game of foreign policy
being played there is proving neither arbitrary nor artificial. </span></span><br />
<br />
Timothy W Higginshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17118861693269565715noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4041089218060371051.post-26738524995371093582014-08-16T00:01:00.000-04:002014-08-16T00:01:00.030-04:00TFP Column: Getting Off The Bus<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhct2rb1rxJOtUFFXa7Z7hqtbZij0nXiYH9vM4EMt4LSKxE97qZyl2p9I52rGrAGVHXEJ2xBt3tpnNGsBuu3xa03MDu_tChCblGqKjX0r1UOJpTKTEaCksMmBuR5qzxCbFJaVqc_a2KBAO4/s1600/tfpLogo.gif" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhct2rb1rxJOtUFFXa7Z7hqtbZij0nXiYH9vM4EMt4LSKxE97qZyl2p9I52rGrAGVHXEJ2xBt3tpnNGsBuu3xa03MDu_tChCblGqKjX0r1UOJpTKTEaCksMmBuR5qzxCbFJaVqc_a2KBAO4/s1600/tfpLogo.gif" height="72" width="400" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="color: #b45f06;"><i>(Contrary
to all logic and reason, I have decided to put new material up on this
blog, but only in the form of the columns that I have done for the
Toledo Free Press. This is done for the benefit of those with time to
waste, who likewise do not spend their time reading the website of this
award winning weekly newspaper, and I will go back and add efforts that
were published earlier this year.)</i></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="color: #b45f06;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><i>This particular effort was published on 02/10/2014.</i></span></span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="color: #b45f06;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"></span></span></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">There’s news on the street that in spite of putting forward a
position paper two weeks ago on the ground rules for taking on
comprehensive immigration reform legislation in the current session,
Republicans have reconsidered and are now saying that it’s unlikely such
legislation will occur this year.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
</span><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
</span><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Some believe that the difficulty lies in tackling such an effort in a
year when most Congress members <span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><i>(Democrats and Republicans alike)</i></span> are
far too busy raising money for re-election campaigns. Others say
Republicans are refusing to take up legislation likely to add voters to
Democratic voting rolls. Still others believe there’s no point in
passing new legislation on the subject when its likely the president
will take up his pen, his phone and his Justice Department in the
selective enforcement of whatever makes its way to his desk for
signature. <span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><i>(Can you say Dream Act?)</i></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
</span>
<br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Like the multiple reasons that may now be standing in the way of its
passage, such comprehensive legislation is often known by a variety of
names. Omnibus, for example. The term may seem rather innocent, being
often defined as an anthology of works or laws related in theme. In the
hands of a twisted national legislature however, a more malevolent
interpretation has been adopted. Washington D.C.’s nefarious definition
of Omnibus in fact, instead seems to mean:</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
</span>
<br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">“A comprehensive list of rules and regulations ostensibly related to a
given subject <span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><i>(however tenuously)</i></span> in such a way so as to obscure both
its original meaning and ultimate purpose so well that often even those
who propose them no longer have any idea what they mean, nor of the laws
of unintended consequences that will inevitably subvert and outweigh
any potential benefits that might have accrued as a result of its
passage.” <i> </i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
</span>
<br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Why, it was only last week that the president signed the latest
bipartisan example of such a nightmare in the form of a 949-page, $956
billion Farm Bill. Twenty percent of the almost $1 trillion over 10
years will serve as belated Christmas gifts to the top four percent of
the nation’s corporate agribusinesses for producing things like rice,
peanuts and catfish <span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><i>(with a little left to help Christmas tree
farmers)</i></span>. A closer examination might reveal enough pork included in
this particular bus to make it ride more like the Oscar Meyer
Weinermobile.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
</span>
<br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">As for the other 80 percent of the funding, it’s reserved to cover
the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program <span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><i>(known as the SNAP, or the
food stamp program)</i></span>. While this latest version surprisingly cuts the
budget for SNAP, it does so only after allowing it to become a program
whose costs have increased 358 percent <span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><i>(from $17 billion to $78 billion)</i></span>
since 2000.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
</span>
<br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Many however, still wonder why two such dissimilar routes are served
by the same omnibus. It’s said that Democrats like massive entitlement
programs and hate subsidies while Republicans can’t resist corporate
handouts and hate entitlements. Combining them therefore insures its
continued bipartisan support.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
</span>
<br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Some however, try to deny the political machinations involved. It
cannot be denied for example, that some of the things bought with SNAP
cards are in fact food. Likewise, some of the agribusinesses receiving
subsidies <span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><i>(unlike Fruit of the Loom) </i></span>actually grow it. Similarly, like
all large government programs, this one serving two masters shares the
common issues of enormous waste, gross mismanagement and significant
fraud.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
</span>
<br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Of course for those who may have forgotten <span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><i>(which hardly seems
possible)</i></span>, we’re still dealing another example of Omnibus legislation:
“The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act,” commonly know as
Obamacare. Almost three years after this 2,400 page health care
conveyance was created in March 2010, it has run off the road, crashed
and burned and probably had more riders thrown under it than carried by
it <span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><i>(only after picking them up late)</i></span>.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
</span>
<br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">One can’t help but wonder then why some complain Congress doesn’t
pass as many laws in each session as they used to nor take up as much
comprehensive legislation. Equally surprising is their disappointment
when the Omnibus process for something as important immigration reform
stalls. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Some call it failure and the natural result of the bitter
partisanship in a divided Congress. Others call it the inherent laziness
of politicians more concerned with keeping their jobs than doing them.
While both are probably true enough, I instead consider it a fortunate
circumstance indeed when either party decides to step back from the curb
and refuse to get on yet another omnibus. </span><br />
<br />
<br />Timothy W Higginshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17118861693269565715noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4041089218060371051.post-48979348190450374092014-08-11T19:41:00.001-04:002014-08-11T19:42:13.134-04:00TFP Column: Contradictory Laws Equal Confused Country<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhct2rb1rxJOtUFFXa7Z7hqtbZij0nXiYH9vM4EMt4LSKxE97qZyl2p9I52rGrAGVHXEJ2xBt3tpnNGsBuu3xa03MDu_tChCblGqKjX0r1UOJpTKTEaCksMmBuR5qzxCbFJaVqc_a2KBAO4/s1600/tfpLogo.gif" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhct2rb1rxJOtUFFXa7Z7hqtbZij0nXiYH9vM4EMt4LSKxE97qZyl2p9I52rGrAGVHXEJ2xBt3tpnNGsBuu3xa03MDu_tChCblGqKjX0r1UOJpTKTEaCksMmBuR5qzxCbFJaVqc_a2KBAO4/s1600/tfpLogo.gif" height="72" width="400" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="color: #b45f06;"><i>(Contrary
to all logic and reason, I have decided to put new material up on this
blog, but only in the form of the columns that I have done for the
Toledo Free Press. This is done for the benefit of those with time to
waste, who likewise do not spend their time reading the website of this
award winning weekly newspaper, and I will go back and add efforts that
were published earlier this year.)</i></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="color: #b45f06;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><i>This particular effort was published today on 08/11/2014.</i></span></span></span></span><br />
<br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Many will tell you that the United States is the greatest country in
the world. They believe so in large part because this nation, (at least
in theory) under the framework of the Constitution, lives under the
“Rule of Law.”</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Now for those unfamiliar with this principle, this means this nation
is governed under the pre-eminence of its laws, and not under the
primacy of any individual or group of individuals. Laws however, have an
internal supremacy of their own.</span><br />
<div class="wp-caption alignright" id="attachment_54623" style="width: 160px;">
<div class="wp-caption-text">
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
</div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Municipalities like Toledo, for example, have city councils with the
ability to write and pass laws, which go into effect if the mayor signs
and doesn’t veto them. Those rights are guaranteed under the principle
of “Home Rule,” granted under Article XVIII of the Ohio Constitution.
Article XVIII however, states: “Municipalities shall have authority to
exercise all powers of local self-government and to adopt and enforce
within their limits such local police, sanitary and other similar
regulations, as are not in conflict with general laws,” — which is
written vaguely enough to make it a constant subject of judicial, if not
political, interpretation. Translated from “lawyer-speak,” it means
that a city can write laws for itself only as long as the state and
nation agree that such laws don’t conflict with state or federal law.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Confused yet? Then let’s talk about the state level, where legislators
play much the same game. Like their municipal counterparts, laws can be
whatever is passed by the state legislature and signed by the governor.
Once completed, however, state law has the potential to make local laws
obsolete or superfluous, under the conflict portion of Article XVIII.
But that’s not the end.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">The efforts of the states in turn are themselves subject to the same
fate under the supremacy of federal laws under Article VI of the
Constitution. Known in fact as the “Supremacy Clause” it states: “This
Constitution, and the Laws of the United States which shall be made in
Pursuance thereof; and all Treaties made, or which shall be made, under
the Authority of the United States, shall be the supreme Law of the
Land; and the Judges in every State shall be bound thereby, any Thing in
the Constitution or Laws of any State to the Contrary notwithstanding.”
(I know, blah, blah, blah …) Remove the legal gibberish however, and it
makes clear that when under judicial review, federal law shall deemed
the Supreme “Law of the Land.”</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">This is where it gets even more confusing. Not only does the president,
like the governor at the state level, have the ability to sign or veto
legislation submitted to him by the legislature, but lately he seems to
feel he has the power to change or delay implementation of certain
politically inconvenient provisions in spite of “shall vs. may” language
within it (something we’ll have to go into in another effort). More
importantly, it’s the executive branch and the president’s attorney
general at the Department of Justice (DOJ) that’s ultimately responsible
for enforcing federal law.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">During the current administration there’s been some confusion,
contradiction and what might even be seen as arbitrary behavior where
such enforcement is concerned. The current DOJ sees no voting rights
violation when a couple of Black Panthers with clubs stand outside a
polling place in Pennsylvania, but does see it in a Wisconsin
requirement for photo ID and in Ohio where providing absentee ballots
and 28 days of early voting is apparently insufficient protection.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">The DOJ challenged Arizona (and won) for passing a state law to allow
its local and state constabulary to enforce existing federal immigration
law when the federal government seemed unable or unwilling to do so.
(Texas’s governor just recently deployed the Texas National Guard to
assist border enforcement in his state and we have yet to see if this
too will be challenged.)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">And then there’s pot …</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">The DOJ insisted on the supremacy of federal drug laws early on when
challenging “medical” marijuana use in California, but has recently
seemed rather timid regarding recent state laws for recreational use in
Colorado and Washington.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Inconsistent and contradictory federal enforcement of the Supremacy
Clause seems the most generous way of describing the current situation.
Does this erratic and unpredictable legal philosophy leave us confused
as a nation, one ripe for both abuse and for legal challenge? Yes. Worse
yet, it also makes it more likely that regardless of what you do (even
if that’s nothing at all), you could well be guilty of something.</span><br />
<br />Timothy W Higginshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17118861693269565715noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4041089218060371051.post-39055930726037422792014-08-10T00:24:00.001-04:002014-08-10T00:24:52.206-04:00TFP Column: Climate Change Denier<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhct2rb1rxJOtUFFXa7Z7hqtbZij0nXiYH9vM4EMt4LSKxE97qZyl2p9I52rGrAGVHXEJ2xBt3tpnNGsBuu3xa03MDu_tChCblGqKjX0r1UOJpTKTEaCksMmBuR5qzxCbFJaVqc_a2KBAO4/s1600/tfpLogo.gif" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="72" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhct2rb1rxJOtUFFXa7Z7hqtbZij0nXiYH9vM4EMt4LSKxE97qZyl2p9I52rGrAGVHXEJ2xBt3tpnNGsBuu3xa03MDu_tChCblGqKjX0r1UOJpTKTEaCksMmBuR5qzxCbFJaVqc_a2KBAO4/s1600/tfpLogo.gif" width="400" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span><span style="color: #b45f06;"><i>(Contrary
to all logic and reason, I have decided to put new material up on this
blog, but only in the form of the columns that I have done for the
Toledo Free Press. This is done for the benefit of those with time to
waste, who likewise do not spend their time reading the website of this
award winning weekly newspaper, and I will go back and add efforts that
were published earlier this year.)</i></span><br />
<br />
<span style="color: #b45f06;"><i>This particular effort was published on 03/07/2014.</i></span></span></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">I hereby freely admit to being a climate change denier. I’ve listened
to all the accounts, from the news readers to the opinions of pundits,
and have read some of the limited amount of scholarly work on the
subject. I find nothing in this body of work to convince me the issues
involved are anywhere near settled. Further, I deny that the arguments
put forward on the subject appear to have any merit.</span></span>
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">This is not to say I disagree that the climate is changing. Instead,
I’m convinced the changes occurring are little more than trends and
natural movements that occur over time. Little if any of this movement
appears to be man-made nor do man’s actions seem to have any significant
effect on it.</span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Now for those of you already composing hate mail to me or to TFP Editor
in Chief Michael S. Miller and canceling your free subscription, I’m
talking about the political climate.</span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">In spite of the endless stories <span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><i>(especially recently)</i></span> regarding this
notion of political climate change, little of it seems to actually be
occurring. Some insist that the apparent cooling coming from the
“Alphabet Fallout” cloud of the NSA and the IRS must surely prove the
theory. Others are sure the “Benghazi Effect” and what it’s done to heat
things up before the next election should be proof for all to see.
Still others disregard these contradictory temperature claims and
instead talk about the growing holes in the “Obamacare Layer” as proof
that far-reaching and permanent political climate change is imminent.
Nonsense!</span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Some even erroneously cite so-called statistical proof, using the
alarming disapproval rate earned by Congress. Such claims are greatly
exaggerated. While it’s true the current legislature carries a
spectacularly low approval rating of 17 percent, the dirty little secret
is Congress’ approval rate has seldom risen above 30 percent in the
past 40 years.</span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Don’t get me wrong. The political tide certainly appears to be rising
for the GOP, but this movement hardly seems permanent and may be a trend
that ends with the 2014 election cycle <span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><i>(if not sooner)</i></span>. Part of this is
because Democrats (and their media minions) seem far better at telling
their story than their opponents, even when that tale is largely
fiction. The rest, however, is because of the unfailing ability of the
GOP leadership to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory. <span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><i>(Can you say
John McCain or Mitt Romney?)</i></span></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Scholars have for years attempted to tell us that our nation is a
center-right electorate. History shows us, however, that when the
current group of neoconservatives in the Republican Party wins, they
celebrate by apologizing to their opponents before moving in their
direction, making that victory little more than a Pyrrhic one.</span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Instead of becoming evidence of change, such results are more likely to
prove its absence. They highlight the inability of today’s political
climate to show real change, regardless of who’s in charge. This entire
process is reinforced by a plurality of low-information voters who
seldom look beyond name recognition in choosing candidates, regardless
of party affiliation or prior performance.</span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Available data, as determined by the length of Congressional service,
tends to support this. Rep. Marcy Kaptur’s interminable 31 years in
office, for example, doesn’t even rank in the top 100 on the historical
“Groundhog Day” list of service in the national legislature. Michigan
Rep. John Dingell currently holds the title of Congress’ “never-ending
gobstopper,” but plans to retire this year after an uninterrupted
59-year tenure. Rumor has it his legacy will likely be carried on with
his younger wife (a lobbyist) attempting a move from understudy to title
role, and cashing in on said name recognition in her run for the open
seat.</span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">The climate of politics is not something easily influenced by the
rhetoric of its participants, the heat of the issues nor the apparent
coolness of the electorate to its representatives. It is perhaps far too
placid <span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><i>(if not flaccid)</i></span> to have its tides easily stirred. Those of you
thinking you see a sea change coming, with a permanent rise in the depth
of the Republican Party <span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><i>(especially that of some of its conservative
elements)</i></span> — think again. Wild and unproven theories may continue to
exist, but real political climate change can and should be utterly
denied. </span></span><br />
<br />
Timothy W Higginshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17118861693269565715noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4041089218060371051.post-3031989390992407842014-07-30T00:01:00.000-04:002014-07-30T00:01:00.587-04:00TFP Column: Post "Network" Politics<div style="margin-bottom: 0.14in;">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhct2rb1rxJOtUFFXa7Z7hqtbZij0nXiYH9vM4EMt4LSKxE97qZyl2p9I52rGrAGVHXEJ2xBt3tpnNGsBuu3xa03MDu_tChCblGqKjX0r1UOJpTKTEaCksMmBuR5qzxCbFJaVqc_a2KBAO4/s1600/tfpLogo.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhct2rb1rxJOtUFFXa7Z7hqtbZij0nXiYH9vM4EMt4LSKxE97qZyl2p9I52rGrAGVHXEJ2xBt3tpnNGsBuu3xa03MDu_tChCblGqKjX0r1UOJpTKTEaCksMmBuR5qzxCbFJaVqc_a2KBAO4/s1600/tfpLogo.gif" height="72" width="400" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="color: #b45f06;"><i>(Contrary
to all logic and reason, I have decided to put new material up on this
blog, but only in the form of the columns that I have done for the
Toledo Free Press. This is done for the benefit of those with time to
waste, who likewise do not spend their time reading the website of this
award winning weekly newspaper, and I will go back and add efforts that
were published earlier this year.)</i></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="color: #b45f06;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><i>This particular effort was published on 03/20/2014.</i></span></span></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">In 1976, Peter Finch spoke to a generation as newscaster Howard Beale
by telling us:<span style="color: red;"><i> “So I want you to get up now. I want all of you to get
up out of your chairs. I want you to get up right now and go to the
window. Open it, and stick your head out and yell, I’M AS MAD AS HELL,
AND I’M NOT GOING TO TAKE THIS ANYMORE!”</i></span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
</span></span><div class="wp-caption alignright" id="attachment_54623" style="width: 160px;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
</span></span><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Not many recall “Network” screenwriter Paddy Chayefsky’s cynical
prescience regarding the degradation of television network news (cable
news networks didn’t yet exist), or director Sidney Lumet’s portrayal of
the general apathy and eager gullibility of the American viewing
public. Few indeed remember anything of this film other than its iconic
tagline.</span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">The only thing that’s changed in the intervening years is the addition
of cable channels dedicated, in theory, entirely to news yet with
programs that have become in many ways far worse than Chayefsky
anticipated, and perhaps more outrageous than Lumet was willing <span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><i>(or
heroic enough)</i></span> to portray.</span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">We may not yet have astrology segments, but multiple <span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><i>(and mostly
inaccurate)</i></span> weather segments seem to serve well enough as a substitute.
Revolutionary groups may not be on the air yet, but the proliferation of
journalistic zealotry makes one often feel it is.</span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Not anticipated in 1976, however, was the proliferation of non-news
stories <span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><i>(and reality shows)</i></span> from Hollywood regarding those leading lives
of unthinkable luxury and unthinking ignorance. While flouting moral
precedent, society’s rules and the nation’s laws <span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><i>(with the permission of
lenient courts)</i></span>, many find time <span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><i>(between rehab sessions)</i></span> to support
international tyranny under romantic notions of revolution.</span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Talk radio, for all its supposed sins, at least attempts to devote an
entire 30-minute segment <span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><i>(including commercials, news and traffic)</i></span> to a
subject as important as whether we should get into or out of a war, or
whether the laws and regulations pouring out of the pens of pampered
politicians make a difference.</span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">With television, we’ve come to accept a schizophrenic form of news. Most
days, it’s force-fed to us in two- to four-minute segments (bipartisan
commentary included). Eastern European politics or the science of
hydraulic fracturing, we’re apparently only capable of digesting
important national or world events in a Reader’s Digest condensed
format, with segments only slightly longer (and often less intelligently
written) than the commercials that separate them.</span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Occasionally however, the networks depart from their information
shorthand to provide their viewers with nauseatingly repetitious
offerings on what they don’t know on a story, supplemented by experts
and pundits providing commentary so “inside baseball” that few if any
can understand it.</span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">As for their coverage of national politics, networks prefer an
inflammatory sound bite to their job of covering the four W’s of the
story <span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><i>(who, what, where and when)</i></span>. If they do get around to them, one
can be certain of an Obi-Wan Kenobi interpretation of such facts “from a
certain point of view.” And as for the fifth W <span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><i>(why)</i></span>, once more a panel
of experts returns <span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><i>(fellow journalists and unemployed political
minions)</i></span> who can ignore questions in a bipartisan fashion, regurgitate
party talking points ad nauseam and still find time to promote their
current book.</span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Much of that unresolved “Network” anger still exists in this country,
but remains largely unfocused. We’re angry with government for not doing
the job it’s expected to do while doing far too many things it’s not
needed for. We’re angry with politicians and political parties who’ve
spent far too much time feathering their own nests instead of the
nation’s work and have done so with our feathers. </span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">We’re angry with each
other for the selective inattention we exhibit to the pain and suffering
going on around us. Often however, we’re the most angry with a
mainstream media that continues to assert special privilege as “The
Fourth Estate,” ignoring their responsibilities and failing as badly as
the American equivalents of the first three.</span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">The right of a free press was included in the First Amendment for a
reason by the founders, who understood that the republic would never
survive without it. I wish Howard were still around, and this time “mad
as hell” at those he worked with.
</span></span><br />
<br />
</div>
Timothy W Higginshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17118861693269565715noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4041089218060371051.post-11038459923875644752014-07-26T11:21:00.001-04:002014-07-27T11:57:34.777-04:00TFP Column: Rites Of Spring<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGFIOSa6EFI9FPUUeKqQvREq80_Nl-bgk0cCaQHtuvPzFWzjxZnDEy0_icT_7CNfgcJh8LTm4YfK6Ea4sb8Vqw5VNdz6u90um4cDwRYN_LgYGmfkewn3HW7x8iNzVwWTNjxWoWk33DTW5B/s1600/tfpLogo.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGFIOSa6EFI9FPUUeKqQvREq80_Nl-bgk0cCaQHtuvPzFWzjxZnDEy0_icT_7CNfgcJh8LTm4YfK6Ea4sb8Vqw5VNdz6u90um4cDwRYN_LgYGmfkewn3HW7x8iNzVwWTNjxWoWk33DTW5B/s1600/tfpLogo.gif" height="72" width="400" /></a></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0.14in;">
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0.14in;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="color: #b45f06;"><i>(Contrary
to all logic and reason, I have decided to put new material up on this
blog, but only in the form of the columns that I have done for the
Toledo Free Press. This is done for the benefit of those with time to
waste, who likewise do not spend their time reading the website of this
award winning weekly newspaper, and I will go back and add efforts that
were published earlier this year.)</i></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="color: #b45f06;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><i>This particular effort was published on 04/03/2014.</i></span></span></span></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0.14in;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Despite the dire prognostications of the Pennsylvania rodent
population, the contradictory evidence of flowers that seem brave enough
to begin poking their way into the sunlight <span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><i>(though forced to do so
through the semi-frozen ground of global climate change)</i></span> and despite the
mirage of lingering snow drifts to your lying eyes ... spring is finally
here.</span><br />
<div class="wp-caption alignright" id="attachment_54623" style="width: 160px;">
<br /></div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Spring means many things to many people. Here in the Midwest, it
means planting of crops for farmers <span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><i>(or in some cases, getting the
government to pay you not to plant them by placing land in a “soil
bank”)</i></span>. It means fertilizing the lawn, then rushing to tune up the
lawnmower so we can cut it after stimulating its growth. It’s likely to
mean it’s time to repair the car’s suspension from that unfortunate
assignation with a pothole the size of that meteor crater in Winslow,
Ariz.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
</span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"> </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">One of the most important things about spring however is sports.
Spring is in fact the convergence of all things sports. College
basketball holds its two different tournaments, the NCAA championship
for the “feasible,” the “unlikely,” and the “surprising” and the NIT for
those whose yearly efforts haven’t reached the previously mentioned
levels, but should be rewarded by face-saving and revenue-generating
post-season play. The professional basketball season is also winding to a
close, with more teams making its postseason play than missing it, and
the usual suspects likely to be there at the end.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
</span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"> </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Hockey follows basketball to a season close in the growing warmth,
though it’s outdoor play these days is only for show and therefore not
an impediment. Like its brother basketball, it too has fallen prey to
the lure of revenue, and far too many will contest to dethrone the
Chicago Blackhawks and lift Lord Stanley’s Cup.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
</span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"> </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Football too has begun, whether you’re talking about the spring
practices of the college teams of the U.S. version or the more
accurately defined world sporting event that’s only in recent years
getting its proper due in this country.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
</span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"> </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">The king of sports this time of year, however, is and always will be
the national sport, baseball. Oh sure, they messed with Opening Day this
year by allowing the Diamondbacks and the Dodgers to play one in
Australia, before the traditional opening game in Cincinnati; but games
played on the other side of the international dateline can probably be
discounted in a 162-game season. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Regardless of whether snow must be
cleared from the fields and long sleeves are the rule rather than the
exception on the field, it’s time to “Play Ball!”</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
</span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"> </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Across the nation, we abandon balmy living rooms and cheerfully face
the often frozen confines of a land where “hope springs eternal.” We
encourage our overpriced stars, cheer those we’ve never seen before, but
who show early promise and salute those who, perhaps unknown even to
themselves, are taking their final lap as men playing a boy’s game.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
</span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"> </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">This spring is particularly special for some of us, as it commemorates the 100<sup>th</sup>
anniversary of historic Wrigley Field in Chicago. This celebration is
likely to be rather muted however, since the Cubs have failed to win a
World Series during the entire century of this ballpark’s existence and
the Cubs enter what’s likely to be the 108<sup>th</sup> year of their rebuilding program.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
</span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"> </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">A point that forces one to take note that not all things associated
with spring are positive is that politicians are already out on the
stump, attending fundraising dinners across the country and forming
exploratory groups, while simultaneously denying that such efforts
exists. <span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><i>(A curious process since the only thing that such exploration
groups seem to discover is a previously unknown groundswell movement for
the candidate to run.) </i></span> For those seeking further evidence of the dire
consequences of the season, it’s also less than two weeks until tax day.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
</span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"> </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Alfred Tennyson told us that “In the spring, a young man’s fancy
lightly turns to thoughts of love.” Recalling dim memories of having
been one during the Dark Ages of history, I believe I can say without
fear of challenge that a young man’s fancy seldom strays from such
thoughts. For many this week, however, the glorious contemplation of
such emotions and perhaps of the fairer sex in general will be done in
the Glass City with a hot dog and an adult beverage at Fifth Third
Field. </span><br />
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Timothy W Higginshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17118861693269565715noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4041089218060371051.post-6993003872827507322014-07-23T00:01:00.000-04:002014-07-23T00:01:00.836-04:00TFP Column: Toledo - Real Estate Entrepreneur<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKgoOIBYvAzut7S-PC93Q5b2Rxqmup_cXI7qt_IlQldcaxnT94ntAf4RKLv-N8llbdEv8YnFQyrkBXOVst3kvEe-nKzO8LKb-CSvKvV9J0qyE-USJMIbpeFTHowXYZ9B8tAZfMolMKPbtk/s1600/tfpLogo.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKgoOIBYvAzut7S-PC93Q5b2Rxqmup_cXI7qt_IlQldcaxnT94ntAf4RKLv-N8llbdEv8YnFQyrkBXOVst3kvEe-nKzO8LKb-CSvKvV9J0qyE-USJMIbpeFTHowXYZ9B8tAZfMolMKPbtk/s1600/tfpLogo.gif" height="72" width="400" /></a></div>
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<div style="margin-bottom: 0.14in;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span><span><span><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="color: #b45f06;"><i>(Contrary
to all logic and reason, I have decided to put new material up on this
blog, but only in the form of the columns that I have done for the
Toledo Free Press. This is done for the benefit of those with time to
waste, who likewise do not spend their time reading the website of this
award winning weekly newspaper, and I will go back and add efforts that
were published earlier this year.)</i></span></span><span><br /></span>
<span><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="color: #b45f06;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><i>This particular effort was published on 07/21/2014.</i></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">When the story broke that the City of Toledo might become its own landlord, I immediately offered my services to <em>Toledo Free Press</em> Editor-in-Chief Michael Miller:</span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
</span></span><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
</span></span><span style="color: #660000;"><i><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">“Permit me the time to carefully gather and analyze the facts and
figures involved with this situation and I will deliver to you the
finest effort that I’ve ever done for the <em>Toledo Free Press</em>.”</span></span></i></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Oh sure, setting the bar this low makes the goal far too easily attainable, but I could not let that deter me.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">I spent countless hours over endless columns of figures that made
little sense to me and would likely have made the most dedicated IRS
auditor catatonic. I tirelessly dedicated myself to interpreting market
trends that even Donald Trump would find all but impossible to decipher.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Half blind from lack of sleep, nerves jumbled from too much time
attempting to live on a diet of coffee and Snickers bars, and terrified
by the implications of the material that I had thus far digested, the
answer struck me in the wee hours of the morning when I least expected
it, like the lightning bolt that struck the jackass in “Sergeant York”
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><i>(which seemed a strangely appropriate metaphor)</i></span>.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Of course the city should not be permitted to become its own real
estate agent and purchase One Government Center. The logic was as simple
as it was brilliant; the reasoning as inarguable as it was definitive.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Oh, it was not about decades that showed an unblemished record of
abject failure in real estate market speculation under every
administration in Glass City history. Such a conclusion could be reached
almost intuitively, and a more satisfactory form of closure was
required. Speaking of history and failure, however, neither was it about
the State of Ohio’s documented history of minimal maintenance over the
30-year-plus history of the building that had aged this 22-story
structure far beyond its years and likely put it in a state of disrepair capable of creating one of those “catastrophic and unrecoverable spins” a
la Tom Cruise “Top Gun.”<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><i> (Similar personal experience in the case of my
own structure had taught me more than a few tragic lessons in this
regard.)</i></span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">It probably should have been, but wasn’t about the volatility of the
Downtown Toledo real estate market during an economic recovery that
remains shaky, and where the only ones still apparently making any money
are the carpenters putting plywood up in the windows. This is is Toledo
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><i> (“where you will do better”)</i></span>, where even experienced and savvy gamblers
like Larry Dillin and the Chinese, playing their cards close to the
vest, have feared to go ‘all in’ with what would normally appear to be
winning hands in games like Southwyck or the Marina District.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">It wasn’t even about the fact that even by using Common Core math
principles <span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><i>(where 2 + 2 = 5 for some values of 2)</i></span>, the numbers never
seemed to work out. Even if purchasing the property at a cost of $1, by
the time the city completed a “property flip” on this facility that meet
all of the current building codes and ADA requirements, it would likely
exceed the existing current estimate of $7 million. Add in the
consequences of Toledo’s liveable wage, the labor overruns that come
with any government project and the inevitable yet-to-be-discovered
costs that will only come to light when the project is too far along to
turn back on, the real costs of Toledo’s “This Old House” fixer-upper
may not only exceed the worst nightmare from this PBS show, but in a
worst case scenario could conceivably approach the original $61 million
construction cost.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">But all of this can be set aside as not being the real reason that
Toledo should not become a real estate agent and buy this building.
That, in fact, was something that I only discovered late into my
research.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">As many of you know, government overreach is at an all time high in
this nation, with bureaucratic encroachment at every level of government
occurring against a largely disinterested electorate. Government in
this nation is more powerful, more intrusive and more dangerous than it
has even been in its history. The real reason, therefore, that the city
should not be permitted this move is … the Blazers.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Government simply cannot be allowed to add to their already
formidable arsenal of weapons, the power imbued in those hideously
colored, horribly tacky real estate blazers. Equipped with these
polyester stormtrooper uniforms, what chance has even an aroused
citizenry against them?</span></span><br />
<br />
Timothy W Higginshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17118861693269565715noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4041089218060371051.post-22113595135521838482014-07-20T11:40:00.002-04:002014-07-20T11:40:45.594-04:00TFP Column: Politicians, Blame and Credit<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4iJ6NWNEA9OFWG7Ueh1YLcAwEx5l-rAY6nK4KbKBXerDDJUeYhNBRbPsu6TU7Cauh8DOnnKBrlAiF4XdoNuCyy4xhGLRRDY210k_73_SBRzAeD8NkygXxS0htFafJY1w8U4iB7JwEAHVz/s1600/tfpLogo.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4iJ6NWNEA9OFWG7Ueh1YLcAwEx5l-rAY6nK4KbKBXerDDJUeYhNBRbPsu6TU7Cauh8DOnnKBrlAiF4XdoNuCyy4xhGLRRDY210k_73_SBRzAeD8NkygXxS0htFafJY1w8U4iB7JwEAHVz/s1600/tfpLogo.gif" height="72" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="color: #b45f06;"></span></span></span>
</span></span>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0.14in;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span><span><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="color: #b45f06;"><i>(Contrary
to all logic and reason, I have decided to put new material up on this
blog, but only in the form of the columns that I have done for the
Toledo Free Press. This is done for the benefit of those with time to
waste, who likewise do not spend their time reading the website of this
award winning weekly newspaper, and I will go back and add efforts that
were published earlier this year.)</i></span></span><span><br /></span>
<span><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="color: #b45f06;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><i>This particular effort was published on 07/19/2014.</i></span></span></span></span></span></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0.14in;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Politicians and political parties in power are usually concerned with
taking credit for anything that improves under their watch — even if
they have nothing to do with it, or if that improvement amounts to
nothing more than a better way to spin the story than has previously
existed. Their political enemies, meanwhile, often see it as their
mission in life to discover any deterioration in order to raise the
specter of fear with regard to such failure, and to assign blame <span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><i>
(political and otherwise)</i></span> for its occurrence.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
</span></span><div class="wp-caption alignright" id="attachment_54623" style="width: 160px;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"></span></span><div class="wp-caption-text">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
</div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
</span></span><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Blight, however, is not so much a periodic occurrence as it is a
constant condition that ebbs and flows with the economic tide. It exists
every single day, and on a bipartisan basis. The party in power may
carry the responsibility for how much attention it ultimately garners
<i><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">(or doesn’t)</span></i>, but those in the minority bear an comparable
responsibility <i><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">(if not complicity)</span></i> for attempting to ignore it for as
long as they’re able to.</span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
</span></span><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">As for the daily newspaper whose recent efforts have brought so much
attention to a subject always there, but often obscured, one cannot help
but note a few things. First, that while the issue is an enduring one,
the inadequacy of prior coverage on this issue is equally
long-standing. Second, that target identification in this case has
been followed by little in the way of proposed solutions. Third, and
perhaps more telling <span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><i>(if not self-serving)</i></span>, that interest in drawing
attention to the city’s lost prestige seemed important only when its own
reputation seemed to be going down faster than the <em>Titanic</em>.</span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
</span></span><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">It would be easy therefore <i><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">(and maybe even a little fun)</span></i> as someone
far from the power base wielded by the current administration, to blame
Mayor D. Michael Collins and the current City Council for the blight
that exists in Toledo. It would, however, be completely wrong to do so.
One might find equally misguided amusement in blaming the previous
administrations of Mike Bell, Carty Finkbeiner, Jack Ford and the often
lackluster City Councils for a blight issue that’s been around far
longer than any of them have served in office.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Just as local political leaders are not the cause of blight in a
city, seldom are their actions likely to provide its solution.
Overreacting to any temporary media attention that such stories garner,
their traditional ham-fisted methods of over-funded studies and
emergency regulations are far more likely to leave the city dealing with
the long-term unintended consequences of their ill-conceived notions.
Such efforts are in fact more likely to prove themselves a greater
affliction than the blight they propose to resolve.</span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
</span></span><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">So it is <span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><em>(as Toledo Free Press Publisher Tom Pounds recently
pointed out)</em></span> up to local residents and businesses that the city must
look to if any long term change can be hoped for. His <a href="http://www.toledofreepress.com/2014/07/11/pounds-my-toledo-buy-toledo/" target="_blank">“My Toledo, Buy Toledo” initiative</a>
may seem a simple thing and, as he says, “a small start”, but as the
saying goes: “Every oak tree started out as a couple of nuts who decided
to stand their ground.”</span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
</span></span><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Mr. Pounds is therefore to be applauded for this effort, not for its
grand scope and scale and comprehensive nature, but in fact for being
just the opposite. Not only is such a small grassroots effort, without
benefit of taxpayer funding, far more likely to succeed, but not having
an attention span tied to a news cycle <span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><i>(or an election cycle)</i></span>, it’s far
more likely to be sustainable.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">This is not to say that elected officials can or should have no part
in this effort, and I would certainly hope that all of them will step
forward at some point to show their support for what Mr. Pounds has
begun. Whether already business leaders in the community or not, there
are roles for them to play as simple as that of looking at the City
Charter and removing or waiving any regulations that inhibit direct
citizen participation in keeping their own neighborhoods up. Really
ambitious ones might even show support by participating in such upkeep
efforts, especially in their own districts.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Such an effort, even if it initially appears to be largely symbolic
in nature, is about to begin in the private sector. Mr. Pounds rightly
points out that there is likely “a very long way to go,” even to begin
achieving their goals, but as Margaret Mead said: “Never doubt that a
small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world.
Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has.”</span></span><br />
<br />
</div>
Timothy W Higginshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17118861693269565715noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4041089218060371051.post-86278649192073147242014-07-12T00:01:00.000-04:002014-07-12T00:01:00.117-04:00TFP Column: Lies, Damn Lies, and Statistics<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRTVs60ygbRaBq1NKYbavSszI5yrnHJlTBsNFxZPk8qutbY2viHLQeIVTxMefiBABMmCylo8IrdT9oCxMWZBm5qe7jzkD2lxWsN8V0mT3FO4behrzfpSjsqCqMUIs-uqJ3PDqLuLsY0_K2/s1600/tfpLogo.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRTVs60ygbRaBq1NKYbavSszI5yrnHJlTBsNFxZPk8qutbY2viHLQeIVTxMefiBABMmCylo8IrdT9oCxMWZBm5qe7jzkD2lxWsN8V0mT3FO4behrzfpSjsqCqMUIs-uqJ3PDqLuLsY0_K2/s1600/tfpLogo.gif" height="72" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="color: #b45f06;"></span></span></span>
</span></span>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0.14in;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="color: #b45f06;"><i>(Contrary
to logic and reason, I have decided to put new material up on this
blog, but only in the form of the columns that I have done for the
Toledo Free Press. This is done for the benefit of those with time to
waste, who likewise do not spend their time reading the website of this
award winning weekly newspaper, and I will go back and add efforts that
were published earlier this year.)</i></span></span><span><br /></span>
<span><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="color: #b45f06;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><i>This particular effort was published on 4/24/2014.</i></span></span></span></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">At
the end of the initial sign up period for the Affordable Healthcare
Act, the Administration announced that the program had signed 7.1
million people up for health insurance <span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><i>(8 million in numbers released
subsequently)</i></span> and took their own “Mission Accomplished” victory
lap. After all, 7 million was the number that the Non-partisan
Congressional Budget Office predicted would be sold during the
initial rollout before even it began, and without discussion as to
why, became the benchmark by which both sides measured success.</span></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0.14in;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">The
right was certainly quick enough to adopt it in the early days,
attacking the chances of success after the dismal rollout problems of
the web site and the all but epic failure of the federal exchange in
the opening months of the sign up period. Subsequent performance,
along with the apparent reticence of the government to release
numbers on a timely basis, only fueled the confidence of failure in
opponents and did little for the morale of supporters. </span></span>
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0.14in;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">The
left spent just as much time blaming the delays of the initial
rollout, if not more, in what some might be considered to be whining
attempts to excuse a failure that had yet to occur. Those who
continued to assume any air of confidence were made out to be
dreamers and losers who refused to face reality. </span></span>
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0.14in;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">State
Exchanges didn't do all that much to help the situation. While those
in New York, Connecticut, Kentucky, Rhode Island, and Washington
prospered; websites in Hawaii, Oregon, Maryland, and Vermont fared
dismally. The general consensus of those tracking the numbers was
that reaching the CBO goal was simply never going to happen.</span></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0.14in;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">As
the deadline approached, Jay Carney and Kathleen Sebelius put the
best face possible on the situation, but prepared us for the worst.
The web site was better, traffic was improving, and people were
getting insurance, so 'the number' wasn't as important in measuring
success of the law.</span></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0.14in;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Once
victory had been declared however, the tune changed again. It was
all about the number and nothing else. Sure, some still wanted to
dispute the accuracy of the numbers released by the Administration,
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><i>(I know, how could anyone fail to trust numbers released by the
federal government?)</i></span> but they were little more than malcontents. </span></span>
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0.14in;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">In
spite of the fact that the US Electorate largely has the attention
span of a 5 year-old where the details of any story is concerned,
these pundits and naysayers still attempt to contest the victory by
disputing whether payment has been made <span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><i>(or will continue to be)</i></span>,
whether those signing up were those whose insurance was canceled as a
result of the law or previously uninsured, or the health and age of
those who signed up. Interesting questions perhaps, but only to
those tracking statistics in the government fantasy league.</span></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0.14in;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">But
it was what no one was talking about that was interesting. Benjamin
Disraeli is credited with the quote, “There are three types of lies
… lies, damn lies, and statistics. Even the most cursory
examination of the latter in this case point to a law with numbers
that have largely ignored in favor of the 7 million. Speaking of
ignored, if 7 million signed up, more than 22 million this year alone
ignored the law and failed to sign up. What's more, the same CBO
whose numbers awarded the victory to the ACA has now projected
numbers going out into the year 2023. They tell us that going out
those ten years, there will still be over 31 million people who still
won't have health insurance.</span></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0.14in;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">If
these numbers victory then, perhaps it can only be considered a
Pyrrhic one. For those unfamiliar with the term, it comes from Greek
King Pyrrhus who in victories over the Romans <i><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">(280 and 279 BC)</span></i>
suffered such devastating troop losses in his victories that they
were little better than defeat.</span></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0.14in;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Then
again, perhaps the 'statistics' reported on the ACA and the 'victory'
declared by the current Administration require more than simple
analysis. Perhaps they require the popular perspective inspired by
George Lucas from “Star Wars” <span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><i>(from Episode VI, for the
nitpickers)</i></span>; and that the victory declared is true, “... from a
certain point of view”.</span></span></div>
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Timothy W Higginshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17118861693269565715noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4041089218060371051.post-77719406174218144362014-07-10T04:53:00.003-04:002014-07-10T05:04:46.117-04:00TFP Column: My Guilty Past<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrnamwsn1TyoDPKaaY5-FTxffJ5RcHjodxzu0YMAbILBTQKL6x1ZJ7mr30NGBvj2uJULbT0sOD88wRggXz0d8QF6ZIbAkd3N89gcPKierW80Vz_VbsRY2ndH78FyYpEaXZez1hKAgWEDYO/s1600/tfpLogo.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrnamwsn1TyoDPKaaY5-FTxffJ5RcHjodxzu0YMAbILBTQKL6x1ZJ7mr30NGBvj2uJULbT0sOD88wRggXz0d8QF6ZIbAkd3N89gcPKierW80Vz_VbsRY2ndH78FyYpEaXZez1hKAgWEDYO/s1600/tfpLogo.gif" height="72" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="color: #b45f06;"></span></span></span>
</span></span>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0.14in;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="color: #b45f06;"><i>(Contrary
to logic and reason, I have decided to put new material up on this
blog, but only in the form of the columns that I have done for the
Toledo Free Press. This is done for the benefit of those with time to
waste, who likewise do not spend their time reading the website of this
award winning weekly newspaper, and I will go back and add efforts that
were published earlier this year.)</i></span></span><span><br /></span>
<span><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="color: #b45f06;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><i>This particular effort was published on 5/05/2014.</i></span></span></span></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">I've
been thinking about the recent resignation of Mozilla CEO Brendan
Eich and what it means; not only as a user of this particular search
engine, but as someone paying attention to the direction in which the
political winds blow. Now for those who somehow missed the story,
let's go over the highlights of the story.</span></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0.14in;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Six
years ago Mr. Eich, who co-founded Mozilla back in 1998, made a $1000
contribution in support of Proposition 8, a 2008 ballot initiative
that opposed the legalization of gay marriage in California. Prop. 8
passed by a 52% to 48% margin, but was later overturned in the court
system. Since those rulings, gay marriage has resumed in California.
</span></span>
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0.14in;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">After
many years with the company, Mr. Eich was recently named to the
position of Chief Executive Office, a position which had been open
for over a year. While news of his contribution made the news years
ago, the story resurfaced after the promotion was announced, and a
firestorm of controversy ensued on social media and within the tech
community. </span></span>
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0.14in;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Some
initially merely called for Eich's resignation, but soon others went
further and called for a boycott of Mozilla. Mr. Eich issued a
statement re-affirming his commitment to inclusiveness at the
company. The Chair of the Mozilla Foundation, Mitchell Baker, later
also issued a statement about the company's continuing commitment to
inclusiveness and its support for marriage equality. The damage
appeared to have been done however, and Eich resigned his position
and left Mozilla on April 3</span></span><sup><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">rd</span></span></sup><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
of this year; ten days after becoming CEO.</span></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0.14in;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">The
Free Speech issue of course, is at the heart of this controversy, and
it's one that can be appreciated from both sides. Mr. Eich is
certainly free to exercise his speech rights in making political
contributions. Customers considering use of Mozilla <span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><i>(which is provided free by the way, except for voluntary
contributions)</i></span> are likewise free to use or discard any product from
any company for whatever reason they choose.</span></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0.14in;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">I
can sympathize with Mr. Eich however, who while he apparently had a
rather closed definition of what constitutes a marriage in 2008 (the
same one the President had at the time), showed no other signs of
discriminatory practices against LGBT employees in the workplace. I
can likewise sympathize with anyone <span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><i>(in the LGBT community or
otherwise)</i></span>, who finds Mr. Eich's opinions on marriage offensive and
responds. I do get concerned however, when a single action, years in
our past, can have such far-reaching impact on our present and
future.</span></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0.14in;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Now,
as a Libertarian, I take a somewhat different view on the entire
subject of marriage. My concern is not about the respective sexes of
those being joined <span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><i>(or the number for that matter)</i></span>, but what business
the government has in the process. The fact that one must obtain a
license to marry from that government <span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><i>(and pay them for the
privilege)</i></span> is not only offensive, but seems ludicrous in this day and
age. It's not as if government stands in as a feudal Lord whose
permission must be sought before joining; nor is it a state affair in
which inheritance of lands and title may be at stake. </span></span>
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0.14in;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Considering
that for those of non-noble lineage, this ceremony was little more
than a gathering during which the happy couple jumped over a
broomstick together, today's rules and regulations seem almost
grotesque. That the rite supposedly being protected from desecration
can now not only be legally officiated at by a priest, minister,
magistrate, or justice of the peace; but by any mayor, ship's captain
or Elvis impersonator with a drive thru lane makes the demand for
government certification seem farcical.</span></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0.14in;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">I
bring all of this up of course, because of my own trepidation over
exposure. No, I haven’t been asked to step into a position of
greater authority recently, nor do I expect to be at any time soon.
Nevertheless, I fear that some crack TFP investigative reporter might
choose to 'out' the guilty secret from my own dark past. </span></span>
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0.14in;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">No,
it's not some contribution to a ballot initiative that would portray
me as a homophobe, a racist, or a religious bigot in the last six
years that I fear. Growing up in the rarefied political environs of
Chicago however and influenced by a Catholic education under the
tutelage of a rather dissident clergy during the sixties and early
seventies; I'm ashamed to confess that when I was finally able to
legally cast my ballot for the first time, I voted Democrat two elections in a row.</span></span></div>
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Timothy W Higginshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17118861693269565715noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4041089218060371051.post-64172811141879352032014-07-02T00:01:00.000-04:002015-02-12T04:03:41.895-05:00TFP Column: Canceled Commencement<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSKLDzpia_gXiBJNvXnEp75jWC18f5fVr0giHiqmMgonkc7k2Ya_jQDdIDiGz2PMPPUKR5nzAqA1xUjuiQhXay76RZPd-9ZRpSAU0LtZQ2Wzb6Z-NC7xY2vm1Ps8OVwkYYlPM0AMGuSiEy/s1600/tfpLogo.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSKLDzpia_gXiBJNvXnEp75jWC18f5fVr0giHiqmMgonkc7k2Ya_jQDdIDiGz2PMPPUKR5nzAqA1xUjuiQhXay76RZPd-9ZRpSAU0LtZQ2Wzb6Z-NC7xY2vm1Ps8OVwkYYlPM0AMGuSiEy/s1600/tfpLogo.gif" height="72" width="400" /></a></div>
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</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0.14in;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="color: #b45f06;"><i>(Contrary
to logic and reason, I have decided to put new material up on this
blog, but only in the form of the columns that I have done for the
Toledo Free Press. This is done for the benefit of those with time to
waste, who likewise do not spend their time reading the website of this
award winning weekly newspaper, and I will go back and add efforts that
were published earlier this year.)</i></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="color: #b45f06;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><i>This particular effort was published on 5/25/2014. </i></span></span></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">I</span>n response to a lunchtime protest by the janitor and groundskeeper
at Whatsamatta University, I have canceled my commencement appearance at
this extinguished center of higher yearning.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
</span>
<div class="wp-caption alignright" id="attachment_54623" style="width: 160px;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"></span><br />
<div class="wp-caption-text">
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
</div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
</span><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">While neither surprised nor disappointed to discover that my opinions
are objectionable to some at Whatsamatta U<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><i> (in fact, I take a certain
warped pride that they are)</i></span>, I ultimately decided that such events
should be about those graduating <i><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">(both of them)</span></i> and not about me.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
</span><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">In spite of the public dissent, some have told me it’s important I
speak, accept the honorary degree that’s been offered, begin to call
myself “doctor” publicly and insist that others do so as well, and
eventually try to parlay this into a career as a radio or TV talks show
host. I say, however, that an honorary degree is little more than a
fancy piece of paper rewarding me for work that I’ve never done and I
already get a pay stub for much the same thing every couple of weeks.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
</span><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Others say that I should damn the naysayers and accept the
opportunity to fly halfway across the country <span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><i>(difficult when you live
in the middle)</i></span> in order to say things to an audience smaller than <span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><i>(and
soon to be even more impoverished than the titled characters)</i></span> for “Two
Broke Girls.” I say, however, that I have already put in my time in
riding these “Greyhounds of the skies” and let me tell you, it’s no
longer what it once was. Besides, if I wanted to work for peanuts, I
could continue to write freelance columns for the rest of my life.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
</span><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">It appears, however, that I have inadvertently managed to become a
member of an ever-growing <span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><i>(and far more credentialed list)</i></span> of
conservatives that have accepted an invitation to speak at a university
event somewhere around the nation, only to later cancel said appearance
in response to the pathetic whining of a vocal minority protesting the
decision to invite them in the first place.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
</span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">We are told this is a First Amendment issue, which only proves that
we appear to be living in an age where the writings of the Founders have
been vastly misconstrued by a number of the citizens who live under its
freedom. While it’s true that the Constitution guarantees us the right
to speak freely, it does so only within certain legal limits. Those
limits do not include a protection against there being consequences
against anything other than arrest.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
</span><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Sadly however, it appears that any expression of politically
incorrect speech <span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><i>(especially at institutions that in theory exist for
the free exchange of ideas)</i></span> is now likely to cost you everything but
your freedom. No longer content with being the PC police, today’s latest
group of zealots has a adopted a pose more consistent with that of the
Spanish Inquisition <i><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">(which nobody expected)</span></i>.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
</span><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">This is not to say that anyone must like what’s said by someone
exercising those First Amendment rights. It certainly doesn’t mean that
you must agree with what they’re saying. It does perhaps mean, however,
that a person in this country should be able to be heard out politely
without fear of interruption or reprisal. I remember the Michael
Douglas line from the movie “The American President”:</span><br />
<br />
<i><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
</span></i><span style="color: #783f04;"><i><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">“You want free speech? Let’s see you acknowledge a man whose words
make your blood boil, who’s standing center stage and advocating at the
top of his lungs that which you would spend a lifetime opposing at the
top of yours.”</span></i></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
</span><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Now, however, it seems as though every casual remark, every failed
joke and certainly every tweet gone wrong are subject to endless
scrutiny by a group of sanctimonious hypocrites who celebrate their own
free speech by castigating others behind anonymous screen names.
Conservatives face the additional damning change of well … being
conservative, and these social media bigots are are more than willing
denounce and censure on the basis of that charge alone.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
</span>
<br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">As for my own situation, regardless of my decision not to appear this
year at Whatsamatta U, I am resolved to keep the down payment made on
the speaker’s fee. Though cancellation means I am no longer be required
to deliver my remarks <span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><i>(a boon for which many would gladly pay me)</i></span>,
recompense is nonetheless deserved for having completed the difficult task of
preparing them in the first place <span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><i>(which you can’t prove I didn’t)</i></span>.
Besides, retention of this honorarium should be just enough to “Super
Size” my dinner tonight. </span><br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />Timothy W Higginshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17118861693269565715noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4041089218060371051.post-1335561817371423812014-06-28T00:01:00.000-04:002014-06-28T00:01:00.064-04:00TFP Column: "The Crazy Ones" Dropped<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrnamwsn1TyoDPKaaY5-FTxffJ5RcHjodxzu0YMAbILBTQKL6x1ZJ7mr30NGBvj2uJULbT0sOD88wRggXz0d8QF6ZIbAkd3N89gcPKierW80Vz_VbsRY2ndH78FyYpEaXZez1hKAgWEDYO/s1600/tfpLogo.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrnamwsn1TyoDPKaaY5-FTxffJ5RcHjodxzu0YMAbILBTQKL6x1ZJ7mr30NGBvj2uJULbT0sOD88wRggXz0d8QF6ZIbAkd3N89gcPKierW80Vz_VbsRY2ndH78FyYpEaXZez1hKAgWEDYO/s1600/tfpLogo.gif" height="72" width="400" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0.14in;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; font-size: small;"><span style="color: #b45f06;"><i>(Contrary
to logic and reason, I have decided to put new material up on this
blog, but only in the form of the columns that I have done for the
Toledo Free Press. This is done for the benefit of those with time to
waste, who likewise do not spend their time reading the website of this
award winning weekly newspaper, and I will go back and add efforts that
were published earlier this year.)</i></span></span><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span style="color: #b45f06;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><i>This particular effort was published on 5/26/2014. </i></span></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">E</span>ntertainment, such as it is, invariably comes and goes over time. So
it was with little more than a weary sigh that I first saw this
headline, one I’d been expecting for some time now. Imagine my surprise
however, when I realized it was little more than announcement that the
CBS show starring Robin Williams and Sarah Michelle Gellar about an ad
agency was not going to be renewed for next season. <span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><i>(As if a show
starring Buffy The Vampire Slayer and Mork without Mindy wasn’t doomed
to fail from the start.)</i></span> </span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Strangely, it was not until days later that another similar headline
led to the discovery that the real “Crazy Ones” was likewise seeing the
end of its days. I’m talking, of course, about the Lucas County Board of
Elections <span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><i>(BOE)</i></span>, whose irresponsible irrationality and long
unpopularity has at long last gathered the critical attention of those
in charge.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"></span></span><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">The Lucas County BOE has, after all, been little more than a rather
tedious and shallow reality show, with a poorly hidden <i><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">(and even more
poorly written)</span></i> script of farcical nonsense — one with far less
entertainment value than its coastal rich chick and wrestling
counterparts.</span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Oh sure, there’s been nanoseconds of political intrigue, though only
widely spaced in a mindless tedium of vitriol. No one is going to
confuse its efforts with “House of Cards,” however, nor any of its cast
of characters with the likes of a Kevin Spacey. Drama there was in
plenty, but most of it forced, no doubt produced as an unintended result
of the overacting and poor performances of its players. As for
suspense, none seemed forthcoming until very recently, when it at last
appeared possible that one or more of the cast might fail on a epic
enough scale to get voted off of this overworked version of “Survivor:
The Island of Misfit Toys.”</span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">If there were ever paid writers for this slapstick comedy
masquerading as a bored melodrama, they should have long since been
fired <span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><i>(and had their laptops confiscated to prevent further transgressions)</i></span>. If there was ever actually a script involved, it seems to have
been long since shredded for use to line a hamster cage somewhere.</span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">As for genuine humor, forget it. The occasional ham-fisted attempts
at improvisation by the cast showed far more second tier than “Second
City.” If this droll satire of an even more droll bureaucratic function
found anything resembling amusement to its storyline, it was immediately
trampled in the real life “Barney Fife” comedy of errors portrayed in
its daily operation. While a trio of the characters in this sham may
have provided a bit of comic relief <i><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">(no doubt inadvertently)</span></i>, the only
real relief for the audience will come with the final and permanent
departure from the stage of these Three Stooges.</span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">The recent accidental cliffhanger, however, has fast become a
classic, one in which the stalwarts of the BOE seemed all but incapable
of counting even the piddling few votes cast <span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><i>(less than 10 percent of
those eligible to vote)</i></span> in the recent primary election without making
the process look like “Mystery Science Theater 3000 – The Lost
Episodes.” The only things more pathetic than the voter turnout during
this tired ritual were the poor performances of the cast, the lack of
originality in the sob stories used rationalize their inevitable failure
and the instantaneous inculpation of co-workers.</span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Apparently, however, Ohio’s Secretary of State <span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><i>(and ostensibly
Director of Programming)</i></span> Jon Husted finally had enough from Lucas
County’s Gang That Couldn’t Count Straight and is set to put an end to
its run. I would caution Mr. Husted and his transparency committee,
however, against believing that this latest move may finally resolve the
problems. The trick with canceling a bad show is not as simple as
getting rid of the old one <span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><i>(which may be difficult enough, knowing the
litigious proclivities at least one of the soon-to-be former cast
members in particular)</i></span>. The real skill will shown be in helping
Northwest Ohio replace this last tired effort with a better one.</span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">As for the current version of “The Crazy Ones” in Lucas County, we
must now bid them a fond farewell. To the relief of most, they have
indeed been canceled and the cast duly informed in writing that their
days in the spotlight are now numbered. Knowing that, however, one can’t
help but wonder if any of those packing up their desks is capable of
counting them. </span></span><br />
<br />
<br />
<br />Timothy W Higginshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17118861693269565715noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4041089218060371051.post-87286813775934381752014-06-25T00:01:00.000-04:002014-06-26T13:19:01.098-04:00TFP Column: The Blade Cuts Both Ways<div style="margin-bottom: 0.14in;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="color: #b45f06;"><i>(Contrary
to logic and reason, I have decided to put new material up on this
blog, but only in the form of the columns that I have done for the
Toledo Free Press. This is done for the benefit of those with time to
waste, who likewise do not spend their time reading the website of this
award winning weekly newspaper, and I will go back and add efforts that
were published earlier this year.)</i></span></span><br />
<br />
</span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="color: #b45f06;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><i>This particular effort was published on 6/07/2014. </i></span></span></span></span></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0.14in;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="color: #b45f06;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><i></i></span></span></span></span></span>
<br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0.14in;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">A</span>fter
years of castigating corporate America for failing to recognize
Toledo’s convenient location, to see competitive advantage in its
Downtown, or to appreciate its hardworking union workers, it appears
that </span><i><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The Blade</span></i><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">
is about to tuck tail and follow in the footsteps of those they’ve
previously chastised. What else can we take from formal notifications
to the city and </span><i><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The
Blade’s</span></i><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> unions that it
intends to outsource its production? Such an intention makes it
difficult to reconcile the disparity between the claim of being one
of the city’s biggest supporters and an apparent unwillingness to
invest in its future.</span></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Non-production
functions will apparently remain in its Downtown facility, but </span></span><i><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">The
Blade</span></span></i><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
appears ready to cease all production at both its Superior Street and
Water Street facilities, with more than 130 people losing their jobs.
While </span></span><i><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">The
Blade</span></span></i><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
has not formally announced where that production will resurface, it’s
likely that its plan will require abandoning not only the Glass City
but the Buckeye State as well.</span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">In its announcement,
</span></span><i><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">The
Blade</span></span></i><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
cites the age of the equipment and the challenges of an older
building in its decision not to reinvest. Having recently announced
that it will finance an almost identical investment for its
Pittsburgh newspaper <i><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">(</span></i></span></span><i><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><i><span style="font-size: small;">The
Post-Gazette</span></i></span></i><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">)</span></i>
however, the refusal to bankroll improvement in Toledo might seem
almost duplicitous.</span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">From a purely
business standpoint this becomes even more curious, considering that
</span></span><i><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">The
Post-Gazette</span></span></i><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
competes for its market share with another Pittsburgh daily <i><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">(</span></i></span></span><i><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><i><span style="font-size: small;">The
Tribune-Review</span></i></span></i><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">)</span></i>,
while no such daily competition exists in Toledo. Does this speak to
the market for news in both cities, or simply the red-headed
stepchild status of </span></span><i><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">The
Blade</span></span></i><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
under the absentee landlord nature of one of its owners?</span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">As “One of
America’s Great Newspapers” <i><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">(self-described)</span></i>, </span></span><i><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">The
Blade</span></span></i><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
tells us it lost $8.5 million last year by way of explanation
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><i>(excuse)</i></span> for its plan. Some might see this as “how the mighty have
fallen,” or perhaps “reaping what you sow”; still others might
see it as proof of the adage that “you shouldn’t crap where you
eat.” Perhaps however, </span></span><i><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">The
Blade</span></span></i><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
simply fell victim to its own stale business plan; like many of its
ilk, it could not decide whether it wanted to be an award-winning
business that occasionally made a profit or a profitable business
that occasionally won an award.</span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">As it now scales
back in use, I’m sure some will see the Superior Street site as one
that should be on a federal list of historic buildings. Others might
agree to its entry on a list, but suggest instead that entry should
be on a list of federal Superfund cleanup sites. One cannot help but
wonder at the impact of petroleum-based inks, industrial chemicals
and lubricants used over time. One might be even more curious about
the disposal of decades of solvent-based cleaners used in their
cleanup.</span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">The damage of </span></span><i><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">The
Blade’s</span></span></i><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
past political attacks may soon become history, but not so quickly
whatever may have leeched into the soil and water supply from a
facility only blocks from the Maumee River and a stone’s throw from
Lake Erie. The toxic treatment of those held in disfavor over the
years by </span></span><i><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">The
Blade</span></span></i><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
may someday fade away, but not so easily the residue of chemicals
used to produce them. As its production equipment is mothballed or
removed for eventual sale, let’s hope </span></span><i><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">The
Blade</span></span></i><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
makes more of a commitment to the proper remediation of such
materials than they have to their Downtown location itself, and that
such residue may not prove to be the only long-term legacy it leaves.</span></span><br />
<br />
<i><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">The Blade</span></span></i><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
easily deserves one of the stinging rebukes it has been so fond of
handing out throughout the years; and the failure in its announcement
to promise anything in the way of change shows that its owners have
learned nothing. Some may say it seems a bit unfair to pile on
</span></span><i><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">The
Blade</span></span></i><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">,
but few would argue that it’s undeserved.</span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Sorry guys, but it’s
your turn to be on the firing line for picking up your chips and
leaving the game early. After all, the blade cuts both ways.</span></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0.14in;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="color: #b45f06;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><i> </i></span></span></span> </span></span></div>
Timothy W Higginshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17118861693269565715noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4041089218060371051.post-39136796311802890972014-06-22T02:48:00.001-04:002014-06-23T13:29:50.393-04:00TFP Column: The Best Defense<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvJcOQ7aIXpJLp8PiSfd6uBwG01xOe6M_iusZNG6QHXxE5jYrtDtlDZ3RdAEz1jLNhfBEFtXNa65ZoNhROJ9WVKn4t5DpNOySElOGr57ATo3vCigiJiE1VYTsorBilSl8I461Mahw0r-da/s1600/tfpLogo.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvJcOQ7aIXpJLp8PiSfd6uBwG01xOe6M_iusZNG6QHXxE5jYrtDtlDZ3RdAEz1jLNhfBEFtXNa65ZoNhROJ9WVKn4t5DpNOySElOGr57ATo3vCigiJiE1VYTsorBilSl8I461Mahw0r-da/s1600/tfpLogo.gif" height="72" width="400" /></a></div>
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<div style="margin-bottom: 0.14in;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="color: #b45f06;"><i>(Contrary to logic and reason, I have decided to put new material up on this blog, but only in the form of the columns that I have done for the Toledo Free Press. This is done for the benefit of those with time to waste, who likewise do not spend their time reading the website of this award winning weekly newspaper, and I will go back and add efforts that were published earlier this year.)</i></span></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="color: #b45f06;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><i>This particular effort was published on 6/20/2014. </i></span></span> </span></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0.14in;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">O</span>ne
cannot help but wonder if the Blade is adopting a new "best
defense is a good offense" playbook in its continuing series on
the subject of Glass City blight. Wracked with well-documented
revenue losses and stinging from attacks for outsourcing its
production, the timely release of a series Toledo eyesore stories
might be seen as the perfect <span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><i>(though rather suspicious)</i></span> way to
deflect attention from its own bad press. </span></span>
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Taking
the side of local YouTube videographer EconCat88, rather than that
of the Administration <span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><i>(which it did last time)</i></span> makes the Blade appear
to be on the side of the little guy. Allying with Councilman
Jack Ford <span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><i>(vs supposed Independent Mayor D. Michael Collins)</i></span> keeps them on the
good side of the Democrats who've been in power while all of this
blight occurred. As for indicting a mayor that they've long
supported as part of this effort; that's likely to cost them nothing.
The mayor was sooner or later going to have to throw the Blade under
the bus for their abandonment of downtown, if not for the elimination
of union jobs, so the current series could be seen as little more
than a preemptive strike. <br /><br />Of course the best part of
the series is the gift likely to keep on giving for some time. The
Blade has presented to City Council a subject not even on the radar
screen a month earlier. Distracting from dismal tax revenue,
pot hole problems, and without talking about water and sewer line
infrastructure issues that have long since faded from public view;
this subject provides new opportunities for meaningless rhetoric,
useless legislation, and the potential ability to create another
taxpayer-funded study or two that must make it feel like Christmas in
June for those is office. </span></span>
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Councilman
Ford certainly seems to have discovered his new calling in life,
attempting to establish his final legacy by creating another useless
city bureaucracy in the form of a 'blight authority' to solve a
problem that was just as prevalent when both he and his successor
Mayor Finkbeiner were in the Mayor's position <i><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">(before he attempts to
move on to Columbus)</span></i>. After all, there's nothing that can resolve a
crisis in short order like another government bureaucrat.</span></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">The
current Mayor instead would like to deflect a problem that he largely
inherited from his predecessors, and instead blame the Toledo
Municipal Court and Judge Allen McConnell. Judge McConnell,
according to the mayor's recent statement, is dealing with over 500
affidavits filed against blighted properties by the city in just the
past year. One cannot help but ask, if the impediment is the Court,
why there is no discussion of additional funding and staff for what
appears to be an overworked judicial system rather than adding a city
bureaucracy. Equally unclear is how the Mayor's proposal of a phone
app is going to magically clear the existing judicial backlog. </span></span>
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Wait,
this is Toledo <span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><i>(where you'll do better)</i></span>! Remind me again about how
long the 'temporary income tax' has been in place as a way to
artificially balance the budget. Tell me again how much were
borrowing from the Capital Improvement Budget <i><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">(far better suited to
deal with the issue of blight in the city)</span></i> and how many years we've
been borrowing it.</span></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Better
still, tell me why the Blade, already suffering from an image problem
on a scale that it never knew existed, hasn't proposed a charity
event to raise funds in order to deal with the issue of blight
instead of merely reporting on it. Tell me why City Council, having
only in the last week rediscovered the issue of blight in the city,
hasn't put forth the idea of dealing with the issue on a district
level and on a volunteer basis. How about one or more of these
elected leaders simply revisiting some of their current budget
discussions and making a hard choice as to which is more important to
their constituents, swimming pools or blight. </span></span>
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">While
we're at it, perhaps someone in the editorial department at the Blade
might want to do a bit more research on the ownership of 'blighted
properties' to make sure that some of those on the list aren't
properties owned by … the Blade. While certainly not qualified to
preach, I seem to recall a Biblical phrase to the effect of, “You
hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you
will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother's eye.”
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><i>(Just for the sake of editorial consistency, of course.)</i></span></span></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
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<br /></div>
Timothy W Higginshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17118861693269565715noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4041089218060371051.post-15656116006008369312013-12-30T08:52:00.000-05:002014-06-22T02:34:43.614-04:00Goodbye<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Saying goodbye is always a difficult thing to do; but it sometimes seems necessary. And so, after 6-1/2 years, it may be long past time to give up what has become the rather time-consuming obsession of "Just Blowing Smoke". After all, I would hate to discover later that I had hung on past my prime <span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><i>(not that I think I've actually had one)</i></span>; like so many have done in other fields</span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">. </span> </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Politics is largely a vulgar and unchanging spectacle of self-aggrandizement by a self-chosen elite for most and an exercise of self-deception for the rest; with little room for logic or reason to exist in the space between. Any challenge to whatever the current strictly established dogma is, even by those considered the faithful <span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><i>(and maybe especially by it)</i></span>, risks a condemnation for apostasy. Attempts <span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><i>(almost by necessity)</i></span> to cloak these efforts in skepticism risk their eventual transformation into examples of perverse cynicism through constant exposure to this toxic environment. Attempts at irony or sarcasm as an amusing alternative become little more than a jaded form of gallows humor in the end. </span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">As for the 'perspiration to gain inspiration' required to break through the walls of a largely rigged game, they're often vilified without analysis either because of a lack of properly tenured credentials or their failure to follow ideological protocol for submission. The heroic effort of dancing in the minefield of political correctness left to anyone trying to achieve any originality often yields little more than a stench of disillusionment and disappointment that no masking fragrance can ever cover. </span> </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">This is not to say that the overall experience of creating "Just Blowing Smoke" has been a bad one. In fact, t</span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">o say that I'm immensely grateful for the reception it's received, the size of the
audience it's somehow manage to gather, and the geography it's covered is a vast understatement. </span></span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">t was in June of last year for example while noting the 5th Anniversary of the site that I was celebrating
34,000 total pageviews, and as I now close the door a mere 18 months later, that same number has all but reached 78,000. Unfortunately however, true success in such efforts is measured with levels of participation that are orders of magnitude higher. Judged by these standards in fact, my own meager numbers will never even appear as a blip on the radar screen.</span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">And since I'm being brutally honest ...</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #990000;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">I should admit as well, that much of this effort began as a method to improve my ability to write. If any such improvement has been been achieved over the years, it seems all but imperceptible; and despite my exalted aspirations in this regard, the only thing that I'll ever share with the likes of literary legends like George Will or Charles Krauthammer is species and gender <span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><i>(OK, gender ...)</i></span>. Sparing the public the painful duty of acknowledging that rather sad conclusion on a regular basis could be the most decent thing I can do. </span></span> <span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><i> </i></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="color: #990000;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><i>"Writing is not necessarily something to be ashamed of, but do it in private and wash your hands afterward." </i></span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">- Robert Heinlein</span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">While this departure does not mean that I'll be entering a monastic retreat <span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><i>(the constant kneeling is too humbling and far too painful for these old bones)</i></span>, I expect to be far less visible online and where my literary efforts are concerned. I will no doubt attempt the occasional tawdry literary effort and send them off to venues willing to accept such submissions for no better reason than to feed an addiction that I can't completely kick. The world being as fickle as it is however, I expect little more than to become lost in the next 'squirrel moment' and quickly forgotten. </span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">At any rate, I hate long goodbyes, and this one's already too long by half. It's time at long last to bid a tragic farewell to the multiple personality disorder made up of the Department of Just Blowing Smoke Security, the lexicographers of the Stuck On Stupid Dictionary, and the other ne'er do wells that comprise the JBS Senior Staff as they're returned to the dark corner from which they've emerged over the years. <span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><i> (Which I suppose is far better than turning them loose on an unsuspecting public.)</i></span> Thanks again for your support and your company on what has been a rather strange, often twisted, but occasionally interesting ride. Who knows, perhaps some day </span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">we'll meet again </span>... </span><br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />Timothy W Higginshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17118861693269565715noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4041089218060371051.post-69729457814619174582013-12-28T14:52:00.002-05:002015-02-12T04:10:03.238-05:00Silly Bits VIII<br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The end of the year <i><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">(and that of 'Just Blowing Smoke')</span></i> is apparently not one which provides a break for much of the silliness going on in the world today. So while the calendar is winding down here, I thought it might be amusing to take one last shot at pointing out a rather glaring one.<b> </b></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b>In the Antarctica</b>, there's a true bit of international silliness going on. It seems that a Russian ship, the <span style="color: #990000;"><i>MV Akademik Shokalskiy</i></span>, became trapped in the ice on Christmas Eve about 185 miles east of the French research station Dumont D'Urville. A search and rescue mission was mounted, and a Chinese ice-breaking ship, the <span style="color: #990000;"><i>Snow Dragon</i></span>; was expected to reach the beleaguered vessel a couple of days ago. That mission was put on hold however, when the Snow Dragon was unable to reach the Shokalskiy due to ice that was more than <b><i>ten feet deep</i></b>. An Australian ice-breaking vessel, <i><span style="color: #990000;">Aurora Australis</span></i>, is now on the way and closing in on the site in the hopes of completing the rescue mission.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Not to worry for the crew and passengers, who appear to be in good spirits </span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">with plenty of supplies on board to keep them content during their icy internment. </span> Some of the scientific experiments that they set out to complete are ongoing while they wait for their would-be rescuers. The silliness of this particular situation comes in two parts:</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">1. The silence of the 'Climate Change' crowd over the stranding of a scientific vessel in an expanding ice pack at a time when the 'Chicken Little' cry is over the melting of such packs and glaciers around the world.</span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">2. While you're contemplating these 'sounds of silence' on the Global Warming issue, consider further that the Antarctic continent is currently experiencing its <b>SUMMER</b>.</span><br />
<br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> </span>Timothy W Higginshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17118861693269565715noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4041089218060371051.post-82416349798274816772013-12-27T09:03:00.001-05:002014-06-26T13:43:51.848-04:00Duck Dynasty and Tenure<br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">As I've stated before, the situation surrounding the patriarch of "Duck Dynasty", Phil Robertson, is one that holds little or no interest to me. In spite of statements by Sarah Palin, this is not a First Amendment issue, nor if the truth were known, is it even a matter of Free Speech. In point of fact, it's a matter of contract law between Mr. Robertson and the Arts and Entertainment Network. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I don't know much about the show, since the level of cable that I carry doesn't include this particular network, though I understand that it's well received and has a lot of fans. <span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><i>(So do the Kardashians, and I've managed to by and large ignore them as well.)</i></span> I also understand that some of the things that Mr. Robertson said in his interview with GQ <span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><i>(as well as in other previous statements)</i></span> regarding gay people and minorities were considered offensive by some and a blow against religious freedom by others. But what they are in fact doesn't matter to me and shouldn't matter to anyone except in the context of the language of his employment agreement. <span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><i>(If you're not familiar with specifics of such agreements, by all means feel free to look them up.)</i></span> </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Now personally, I consider GQ offensive by nature as a publication. No matter what the original purpose of this rag may have been; what's left is devoted to a 'Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous' attitude that's little more than an attempted exploitation of class warfare and the snobbish pursuits of the 1%. I've resolved my personal problem with this particular bit of obscenity however by failing to subscribe to the outdated bit of tripe in a largely irrelevant industry that it's become. I wouldn't even bring the subject up if it didn't relate to something I read this morning in the Kansas City Star that many are probably far less familiar with:</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.kansascity.com/2013/12/26/4714148/social-media-policy-from-kansas.html" target="_blank">"Social media policy from Kansas Board of Regents threatens free speech"</a> by Barbara Shelly. It seems that, <span style="color: #990000;"><i><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">"</span></i></span></span><span style="color: #990000;"><i><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">On Dec. 18, the governing board for the states’ higher education
system decreed that campus officials can discipline or fire employees,
including tenured professors, for statements they make on social media. </span></i></span><br />
<span style="color: #990000;"><i><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">With
that move, Kansas became the first state to endanger the career of an
academic because of something expressed in a tweet, blog post or
Facebook entry." </span></i></span><br />
<br />
<span style="color: #990000;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Now for those not living between Kansas City and Wichita, this received little media attention, so a bit of explanation is probably necessary. This policy elucidation resulted from a tweet made by Professor Dr. David Guth of the Journalism Department at the University of Kansas soon after the shootings at the Navy Yard in Washington DC last September that resulted in the deaths of 13 people, and which stated</span>: <i><span style="color: #990000;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><a href="https://twitter.com/search?q=%23NavyYardShooting&src=hash"><span style="color: #990000;">"</span>#NavyYardShooting</a> The blood is on the hands of the <a href="https://twitter.com/search?q=%23NRA&src=hash">#NRA</a>. Next time, let it be YOUR sons and daughters. Shame on you. May God damn you."</span> </span></i><span style="color: #990000;"><span style="color: black;">He later apologized for the the posting, stating though he was a 'professional communicator', <span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><i>(Really! What a clever disguise you've discovered in this epic failure.)</i></span> and that he didn't do a good job of explaining his position. <span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><i>(No shit Sherlock!)</i></span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="color: #990000;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="color: #990000;"><span style="color: black;">Ms. Shelly not surprisingly, is shocked at the policy decision made by the Board of Regents, seeing it as little more than caving in to conservative state legislators <span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><i>(who after all, only control University funding)</i></span>. She would like to have this policy scrapped, since not only didn't they talk to the faculty before implementing it, but they ignored a letter that they got from</span></span></span></span></span> <span style="color: #990000;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="color: #990000;"><span style="color: black;">the <span style="color: blue;">Foundation For Rights in Education</span>, a First Amendment Group. Apparently, tenured professors should be allowed to say what they want behind the protected status of their positions, and ignore the reality that their potentially offensive statements reflect upon the Universities that they work for. Even if they are objectionable <span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><i>(or actionable against the University)</i></span>, they're made with a good heart. She points out that the only people the Regents apparently did talk to, unfortunately, were lawyers. <span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><i>(Well heaven forbid that the Regents would want to insure that a significant policy change was legal!)</i></span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="color: #990000;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="color: #990000;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="color: #990000;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="color: #990000;"><span style="color: black;">Now I'm not a big fan of adding to the world's rules and regulations, but good for them. Such actions not only reflect clear thinking, but fall well within the libertarian notion that my freedoms end at the point that they affect the freedoms of my neighbor. Since such very public pronouncements can affect the bottom line of the University; as employers they should have the right to set policy with regard to such controversial or inflammatory statements. 'With great power comes great responsibility'. <span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><i>(I think I read that in a comic book once.)</i></span> </span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="color: #990000;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="color: #990000;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="color: #990000;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="color: #990000;"><span style="color: black;">Neither of the situations described are First Amendment issues, nor are they subject to the whim of public petition or polling. Bo</span></span></span></span></span>th are situations which are ultimately only between an employer and an employee and their contract together. Like the Board of Directors at the Arts and Entertainment Network, the University Board of Regents is responsible for setting employee policy and once set, insuring that all such policies be issued in writing. If they choose to make one regarding statements released in interviews to the mass media, posted on Facebook, or Tweeted on Twitter, that's their privilege. Many companies are far behind the curve in dealing with social media, their management being of a an age that doesn't understand it in the first place; so it's not surprising that it takes controversy to inspire them to get around to it. </span></span></span></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="color: #990000;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="color: #990000;"><span style="color: black;">Once they do get around to setting policy in such situations however and regardless of the motivations for doing so, employees are contractually obligated to follow them or face disciplinary action up to and including termination. </span></span></span></span></span><span style="color: #990000;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="color: #990000;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="color: #990000;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="color: #990000;"><span style="color: black;">As for all of the rest of us weighing in on the subject, we can all 'shut the hell up'. </span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="color: #990000;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="color: #990000;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="color: #990000;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><i>four days and counting ...</i></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="color: #990000;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="color: #990000;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="color: #990000;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><i> </i></span></span> </span></span><i><span style="color: #990000;"> </span></i></span></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="color: #990000;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="color: black;"><i><span style="color: #990000;"> </span></i> </span></span></span>Timothy W Higginshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17118861693269565715noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4041089218060371051.post-77884020965765199492013-12-24T10:33:00.001-05:002013-12-24T13:08:43.727-05:00Christmas Eve Terror Alert<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">I was doing a bit of cleaning up the Command Center for the Department of Just Blowing Smoke Security after the recent and rather abrupt departure of the staff. Apparently these authorities on uncovering secret information finally discovered that their jobs were no longer necessary only three days after I told them so <span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><i>(for the third time)</i></span>. This Manatee Team of faux covert operations <i><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">(SEAL was obviously already taken and Manatee fit the staff paradigm more accurately)</span></i> had an extraction zone pre-arranged, and hung around just long enough to insure that there was 'no bottle left behind'. What they did leave behind however, was one Cheetos-stained dispatch, apparently forgotten in their hasty departure. </span></span></div>
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Now while I thought about not bothering to pass it on, since what follows looks to be far from a complete list; I do so in the spirit of the Holidays, recognizing that perhaps by posting their final effort <i> <span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">(and as our politicians are oh so fond of saying)</span>, <span style="color: #990000;"> </span></i></span></span><br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><i><span style="color: #990000;">"If just one life is saved…."</span></i></span></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br /></span></span>
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="color: #990000;"><i><b>Egg Nog:</b></i></span><i> </i>
Let’s face it folks, considering the cholesterol and calories contained in
the full strength version of this beverage, you might as well
slather it on like sunscreen rather than drink it. Not only will you save yourself from the ire of the nation's health care providers, but I understand that it serves as an effective SPF-125 sunscreen and does wonders for the complexion. While there are myths that some of the harmful effects of Nog can be somewhat mitigated by thinning it with
alcohol <span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><i>(dark rum is a personal favorite)</i></span>, there is nothing but anecdotal evidence to support such claims. <span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><i>(On
the other hand, having partaken of it in this fashion, it's unlikely
that calories or any other of its deleterious effects will any longer concern you.)</i></span></span></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><i> </i></span></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="color: #990000;"><i><b>Fruit Cake:</b></i></span>
In spite of the bad wrap that this holiday treat has received over the years,
the truth of the matter is that it poses little health risk to most of
the population; and can in fact be used beneficially. It’s not the
fruit of which it’s 'allegedly' comprised or the way in which it's prepared that
makes it healthy; but the fact that it’s so often prepared improperly that it's all but toxic except when consumed in very small portions <span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><i>(even by government standards)</i></span>. Additional benefits include its use as an emergency escape tool to break car windows in the event of a holiday automotive accident and as a substitute for a
truncheon or throwing weapon to drive guests away from other tastier and
potentially more deadly treats at the holiday table. </span></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"> </span></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.blogger.com/post-edit.g?blogID=4041089218060371051&postID=2906819076870572141" name="_GoBack"></a><span style="color: #990000;"><i><b>Cookies:</b></i></span>
These tasty little confections, while around all year in some form,
put on their <i>‘party best’ </i>for the holiday season. Dressed in clever
shapes, hued in artificial colorings, and of course clothed sprinkles and glitter <span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><i>(probably manufactured by Exxon)</i></span>, these dietary landmines are camouflaged in a variety of
holiday masquerades. These bakery booby-traps in fact contain most of the major food groups: sugar,
chocolate, useless carbs, and unpronounceable chemicals. <span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><i>(If someone could get red meat or bacon onto them, they'd be perfect.) </i></span><i></i>Vowing
to abstain from future consumption of them and to exercise off the
calories gained from them are among the top five of resolutions for
each New Year. </span></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"> </span></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="color: #990000;"><i><b>Cheese:</b></i></span>
For some reason, cheese has long found a place at our holiday tables,
often in rather bizarre forms. Sure you can go with the snooty
specialty and European cheeses if what you’re looking for is something
in the way of flavor, but the natural ingredients found in such products
can expose the consumer to greater risk <span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><i>(including becoming un-American)</i></span>. The true American tradition is
much more likely to be defined by cheese balls, cheese logs, and the
ever-popular “Cheese Whiz”. As most of us know, the more processed such
cheese is, the better it is for you; with the piston cans of "Easy Cheese" being the most healthy of all <span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><i>(since they contain the least cheese)</i></span>. There is nothing like emulsifiers or
carrageenan to bring real cheese texture to a dish and nothing like
citric acid when it comes to real cheese flavor. While we're at it,
let’s not forget all of the wonderful processed products contained in
most of the crackers we put this on, leading to an opportunity to add insult to
injury<i> <span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">(literally and figuratively)</span></i>. </span></span>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><b style="color: #990000;"><i>Cocktail Weenies:</i></b>
No one really knows what animals these tasty little treats come from,
let alone what parts of those animals might be involved; and quite
frankly <span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><i>(pun intended)</i></span>
no one wants to know. This ostensible meat product however has become a
holiday favorite over the years. This probably has something to do
with fact that it can be served in so many ways. Drowned in equally
toxic sauce and cooked so long that the surrounding liquid congeals to
the consistency of paste, or wrapped in a variety of equally mysterious <span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><i>(and probably unhealthy)</i></span>
substances and baked, it can be served as a blue collar staple by the scoop or
daintily displayed on the finest upper crust serving-ware by impaling it upon toothpicks
with colorful frills at one end. Do not be distracted by its innocent
appearance however <span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><i>(and be careful to apply the untasseled part of the toothpick to the weenie)</i></span>.
Not only is there little or no actual food value in this diminutive
dog, but recent government funded studies have found it to be little more than a gateway food to dependency on its larger brethren: the Hot Dog, the Brat and Andouille sausage. </span></span>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"> </span></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br /></span></span>
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="color: #990000;"><i><b>Alcohol:</b></i></span>
The health dangers of exposure to alcohol come in many forms, ranging
from what are largely the stealth efforts of rum balls and the
aforementioned Egg Nog to the traditional holiday cocktails <span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><i>(like rum punch)</i></span>,
and ending with the indulgence in every form of fermented and distilled
beverages known to mankind. Let me state for the record that at DJBSS, we approve
heartily in such indulgences<i>.</i> Not only do recent studies continue to show the
positive health effects of moderate consumption of such beverages, but
with the year all but at its end, it’s probably long past time that as
survivors, we celebrated its successful conclusion. </span></span>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Overindulgence carries significant
long-term health risks however, usually from one’s spouse. The
immature, impolite, and downright stupid behavior committed while under the
influence of ‘that demon rum’ will no more likely be forgiven in the
spirit of the holiday than they would otherwise. The damage can be
significant and reputation rehabilitation process can be a long and
painful one.</span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">It
should also be noted under this section, that driving while intoxicated can
be additionally be damaging and expensive. Not only do you risk spending
some or all of your holiday in jail and thereby ruining the occasion for
the whole family; but the economic and employment repercussions can be
devastating for subsequent year’s holiday celebrations.</span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">While
Santa is the spirit of the holiday season in many households, there's
no reason to attempt to equal his girth as well as his good cheer. So by all
means enjoy your holidays and all the tasty treats of
the season; but if for no other reason than the concerns of the DJBSS, please
do so in moderation.</span></span></div>
<br />
<div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
Timothy W Higginshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17118861693269565715noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4041089218060371051.post-86714218466247278562013-12-22T11:41:00.004-05:002015-02-12T04:08:02.004-05:00Dear Santa: 2013<div style="margin-bottom: 0.14in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0.14in;">
<span style="font-family: Segoe Script, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Santa
Claus</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Segoe Script, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">c/o
North Pole</span></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Segoe Script, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Dear
Santa,</span></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Segoe Script, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">I
know that this missive seems to be getting sent off to you later
each year; and once again I would like to apologize for my horrible tardiness. You're not the
only one out there that gets really busy around this time of year you know,
and with the prospect of shutting things down around here in just a
few more days, it's been even more of a madhouse than usual. Thanks, by the way,
for telling the Post Office not to drop <u>ALL</u> of those letters at my
place this year. The three bags were plenty for use in my column a couple of weeks ago,
and the elevator at headquarters only broke down once trying to get them to the third
floor. </span></span>
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Segoe Script, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Before
you ask, my family is doing surprisingly well again this year, in spite of having to put up with me. As usual, anything that
you were thinking of getting them from their lists certainly has my advance approval. As for myself,
I'd like to tell you that I've been good this year as well, but that
would be a bit of an overstatement. (OK, maybe misstatement is more of
the correct word.) The truth of the matter however, is that I probably have been better than usual, but I'm told that going through open heart surgery will
tend to do that to a person. (Don't worry, I'm sure this temporary spell of good behavior won't last.)
</span></span>
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Segoe Script, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">By
the way, please note the names of the doctors and nurses that I've
added to my personal nice list for your consideration. Anybody who
can find a heart in this crusty old bastard, let alone fix it (as they seem to have done)
deserves to be on the “Nice” list. Add in their ability to do without telling me what a sorry, ungrateful #*&$ I am while doing it, and they should
probably be near the top of the “Really Nice” list.</span></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0.14in;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Segoe Script, sans-serif;">Perhaps surprisingly to some, I'm not going to suggest you doing anything regarding Obamacare, Duck
Dynasty, or the 2014 elections. I'd like to tell you that I know you
don't do that kind of stuff anyway, but the real reason is what
little interest I had on these subjects must have slipped out of my
pocket and into a snowbank as I leaned against a lamp post to catch
the lung I was coughing up while walking to a drugstore to get
something to relieve such symptoms from earlier this week </span></span><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Segoe Script, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Segoe Script, sans-serif;">during this most recent spate of Global Warming</span></span>. </span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Segoe Script, sans-serif;">I do have one particularly ironic political request however, for you deliver a lot of lumps of coal to those working for the Environmental Protection Agency. I severely doubt it, but maybe they'll get the joke (or the hint), but that won't take the fun out of the gesture. </span></span>
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0.14in;">
<div style="margin-bottom: 0.14in;">
<br />
<span style="font-family: Segoe Script, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">I
know I haven't asked for anything for myself once again this year.
Truthfully, I've always felt fortunate over the years that you haven't
given me what I truly deserved, and always managed to show up with some
pretty great stuff,
</span></span><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Segoe Script, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Segoe Script, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">in spite of my usual misdeeds. So </span></span>thanks. All kidding aside, I know that there are a lot of people out there whose need is far
greater than mine, so you would be doing me a big favor to help them
out as much as you can instead. (Come to think of it, you might want
to get lots of them copies of the “Holiday Wishes 3” through the
TFP, which would help twice over.) </span></span>
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<span style="font-family: Segoe Script, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Merry
Christmas,</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Segoe Script, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Tim</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Segoe Script, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">P.S.
I will no doubt be up late again this year on Christmas Eve (who sleeps well at our
age anyway), and I have laid in a supply of cookies and Egg Nog (yes, the low-fat kind
so you can watch your cholesterol), so feel free to stop by as usual.
Not that you'll need it, but I'll leave the light on.</span></span></div>
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Timothy W Higginshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17118861693269565715noreply@blogger.com0