Blenglish

I was spending the last couple of nights reading blog postings and comments while traveling. (Actually I spend far too much time doing that most nights, and some of them are actually on this blog.) While comments on "Just Blowing Smoke" seem to run to smaller strings and therefore fairly normal grammar and sentence structure, the same cannot be said for many of the other sites that I normally visit. 

As I have commented before here, there seems to be a direct relationship between the length of the comment string and the likelihood that those commenting will stray beyond the confines of the King's English, that capitalization will crop up in the most unlikely of places, and that a string of mostly personal vitriol will begin to pour forth anonymously. 

Some of this is simple texting abbreviation like: IMHO (In My Humble Opinion), or my personal favorite ROTFLMAO (Rolling On The Floor, Laughing My Ass Off). Others are actually quite clever attempts to make a point through sarcastic misspelling (Mi Amigo at the "Hooda Thunkit Therapy Blog", as you could probably guess from the title, is a master of this.) Some are simply so interested in pouring forth an almost obscene level of acrimony that they forget to check spelling, grammar, or common sense and common decency. 

There are those however, that have taken this process to an almost incomprehensible level. In their honor, I too am going to take advantage of the my own limited creative abilities and use them to coin a new word: "Blenglish". Of course, this word is a combination of "Blog" (already slang for the original term web log) and the language that it occasionally makes fleeting contact with, English. It includes both the clever and not so clever screen names that anyone with access to a computer keyboard can and seems to revel in hiding behind, all of the texting abbreviations that I have to have my children explain to me, and the random form of capitalization and punctuation that becomes a greater part showing emotion and emphasis while blogging. 

It is neither a positive nor negative descriptive term, but instead is merely one that attempts to label (as we human beings do far too often) a form of behavior and a method of communication becoming more and more a part of our world. So I want you to remember this day well. Years from now when "Blenglish" is finally entered into the Merriam Webster dictionary to formally become a part of the vernacular, you can say that you were there when the word was first conceived of. 
 
... have a great weekend

TFP Column: Questions About A TARTA Sales Tax

Another Friday is here, and with it the latest edition of the Toledo Free Press. I once more pecked away at the keyboard this week, in an attempt to produce something worthy of the Infinite Monkey Theorem. I failed, but did at least manage to fire a first salvo in what I expect to be an escalating war over future funding of the Toledo Area Regional Transit Authority, better known as TARTA.

Politics is a strong theme in the TFP this weekend, with an interesting article about an interesting man, Ben Konop, in his bid for mayor of the fair city of Toledo. I have spoken about Mr. Konop a number of times, both here and in the TFP, but Brandi Barhite does an outstanding job of profiling the man and his politics. (The comparison to the cartoon character "Ben 10" on the front page is something that I found particularly amusing.) 

On a completely different note, Publisher Tom Pounds pays tribute to a true Toledo role model. Michael Miller on a more sober note, takes on a subject that all of us writing for publication on any level (and especially those of us writing for the Free Press) need to be aware of.

As usual, there is too much to list that is makes this weekend's TFP edition, so I won't even try. I will point out however, that the TFP has now passed the Toledo Blade for Sunday circulation, making it the city's largest publication on the weekend. Take some time to check out why.

Protection Racket

In the payday lending laws passed recently here in Ohio, our legislators sought to protect us from the predatory lending practices of so called "Pay Day Lenders" who charge a fixed fee for a short term loan. This law was passed so that these potential bad guys could not rip us off, allowing us instead to go to banks. On May 23rd we signed into law House Resolution 627, the "Credit Cardholder's Bill of Rights". (By the way, spellcheck just told me that Cardholder isn't a word. Of course it also told me that spellcheck isn't a word.) 

This newly signed law was designed to protect us from predatory banks who charge too high an interest rate or change the rules on credit limits arbitrarily. You know, now that I think about it a little more, government has been protecting us from a lot lately:

• They took over the mortgage and mortgage insurance businesses to protect us from predatory lenders.
• They took over the banking industry to protect us from ... the banking industry.
• They took over GM and Chrysler to insure that US automakers would build the 'right kind' of cars for the future (whether we want to buy them or not).
• They just raised the CAFE standards in the US, to protect us from gas guzzling cars.
• This will likewise protect us from the greenhouse gases that those cars produce, which in turn will help protect us from "Man-made Global Warming" (a theory which is falling into greater disfavor every day).

Protecting us is something that government has been doing for a while, though sometimes with less than favorable results:

• They protect us with Social Security, a government controlled retirement program (ponzi scheme) which is now all but bankrupt and little able therefore to serve its original function.
• They protect us with Medicare, a limited form of the national health care program which they would like to turn the entire health care system into, which is likewise all but bankrupt and barely able to serve its original function.
• They protect us with Mandatory seat belt laws, assuming that we have neither the good sense or the ability to decide whether wearing a seatbelt is in our best interests (and in some cases, it hasn't been).
• They protect us with regulations for automobile air bags, regardless of the fact that these safety devices have sometimes proved less than safe when they deployed.
• They protect us from harmful chemicals like DDT, which has been proven to be effective in controlling mosquitoes that spread malaria, something that kills far more.
• They protect us from irradiated food, which there is no proof causes any harm, but the lack of which may contribute to numerous food poisoning situations.
• They protect us from nuclear power plants with endless regulations and road blocks, while failing to protect us from the serious power shortages that failing to build such plants engenders.

Now I know that government was designed to do some limited form of protecting. It was designed to protect its citizens from all threats, foreign and domestic. It should likewise protect me from criminal behavior as defined by the rule of law. It should even protect me from other people trying to infringe on my freedoms. I am beginning to think however, that government has become just a little too fond in recent years of protecting me from things whether I need it or not, and whether I want it or not. So my question for all of you out there (and I think that I already know the answer) are two:

1. When did government become a Protection Racket?
2. Who will protect us against our protectors?

 
 

A Voice That Must Not Be Silenced

For those of you who don't know already, Maggie Thurber of WSPD's "Eye on Toledo" program and the blog "Thurber's Thoughts", has resigned as a columnist for the Toledo Free Press. The uproar was created due to accusations of plagiarism in her most recent column for the TFP "The history of Memorial Day". 

I won't go into the whole mish-mash, as the reader can do so in the Toledo Blade article of May 23rd (and Lord knows I want to get that attribution correct), and the article online by Michael Miller in the Toledo Free Press. I will say however that I believe Maggie when she says that the mistake was an honest one. 

It can be very difficult to remember to credit every source when doing one of these history pieces, which are compilations and interpretations of information from multiple sources. It is also easy to write lines very similar to the ones that you have just recently read when you read so much from so many sources when doing one of these pieces. 

I will also say that Maggie has been a strong, clear voice in Toledo, taking on the tough issues and the subjects difficult to understand for most of us (especially when it comes to the finance). She has likewise been extremely fair over time in bringing such information to the public, complimenting opponents when they make good decisions, and taking them to task when they do otherwise. 

That she should be taken to task so enthusiastically in the Blade in an unattributed article (Blade staff) is both cowardly and typical of that organization. One could expect little else of a newspaper however, in which many of its main editorial columns go unattributed as well as Cowardly.  

Cowardly as well has been much of the criticism in the online community that she served so faithfully and so well. Catchy online "nom de plumes" (by the way, I had to look up the spelling in Merriam Webster - attribution, attribution) do little to hide inconsequential, incomprehensible, and incoherent vitriol (came up with that one by myself) aimed at smearing a person who has only sought the best for Toledo and Northwest Ohio.  

I hope that these continuing cowardly and anonymous attacks from the left will not prevent others with a Conservative voice from likewise speaking their minds. The runaway train of Progressivism is out of control these days and about to jump the tracks. Those with the courage to speak out against it are vital to our future survival. It is also my hope that this minor setback will not keep Maggie from continuing to be a strong Conservative voice. She has given far too much to the area with the information, interpretation, and education to let that voice go silent now. 

 (I originally titled this posting "A Voice That I Hope Will Not Be Silenced", but retitled it after a little additional thought this evening.)

 

Memorial Day 2009: A Day of Rememberance

 
I was thinking about trying to put together something appropriate for a Memorial Day posting for the occasion. Then I remembered a compilation piece that I did from last year on the 4th of July. While the entire posting is not necessarily appropriate to the day, the information that I dug up from various sites on the Tomb of the Unknowns is especially so. I would like to share it with you again here. 

Many will be posting today about fireworks and picnics, family gatherings and parades, and these are all wonderful subjects in which I too hope to participate over the holiday. I am going to choose instead on a day that I don't normally post, to pass on a bit of obscure information on a little more somber subject, the monument to those who have made the ultimate sacrifice to provide the very independence that we celebrate on this day.

This came home to me while recently attending a Reunion in Quantico, VA of my late father's Marine Corp Battalion (something that I did last year ). During the trip this year, we visited the grave site of their commanding officer, Colonel Peck, in Arlington National Cemetery. While touring the cemetery, we passed, but did not stop, at the Tomb of the Unknowns, something that I had hoped to do and truly regret foregoing. We were on the way to the Evening Parade at the Marine Barracks on 8th & I however, and one does not keep the Marines waiting. I promise that I will regale you in the future with some of the other things I was exposed to during that visit, but in the meantime, I would like to share with you some of what you might never have known, and I was recently enlightened about the:

Tomb of the Unknowns

1. The tomb contains the unidentified remains of a soldier who served in: World War I, World War II, Korea, and Viet Nam, and has been guarded continuously since 1930.
2. The Guards are members of the 3rd US Infantry Regiment (the Old Guard), and wear no rank insignia on their uniforms while on duty so as not to outrank one of those lying in the Tomb.
3. The Guards take 21 steps, in recognition of the 21 gun salute; the highest honor given anyone in the military or any foreign dignitary.
4. Upon completion of those steps, the guards hesitate 21 seconds in memory of that same honor, turns 90 degrees and hesitates again for 21 seconds, before completing another 90 degree turn and hesitates one more time before resuming his march.
5. The Guards march with moistened gloves to prevent the gun from slipping from their grasp while on duty.
6. Guards are changed every 30 minutes; 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year.
7. The guards always carry the rifle on the shoulder furthest from the tomb. This move places the sentinel between the tomb and any threat.
8. The Guards of the Tomb, an honor currently carried by just over 500 people, is awarded only after careful examination (and noted by the award of a wreath pin). They subsequently live under very strict guidelines for the rest of their lives.
9. For the first 6 months of this duty, guards spend most of their free time learning of the most notable people buried in Arlington in preparation for their exam. With their rigorous training, hours of marching, and rifle drill, they ahve little time for anything else.
10. Each guard spends five hours each day getting his uniforms ready for this duty.
11. In 2003, as Hurricane Isabella approached Washington and while Congress took 2 days off in anticipation of the dangers of this storm, these guards stood their duty. Soaked to the skin, they continued to march their rounds in the pelting rain of a tropical storm. They had been offered the opportunity to suspend this assignment; but refused, stating that such duty was not simply an assignment, but was the highest honor afforded to a serving member of the military.

Honor indeed to those of our troops serving in defense of freedom around the world today, to those who have done likewise in every conflict where Americans have served, and to those who gave all for the men and women that they served with and for their country. 

Washington DC Time Warp

I was shocked (shocked I tell you) to discover that government has discovered a way to modify the laws of physics, though they seem unwilling to share such knowledge with the public. You may be thinking that I am mad (quite possible, actually) or wondering what I am talking about (something that happens quite often actually). 

In fact, I am talking about the fact that our government seems to have discovered a method by which to speed up time. This must be the case, as President Obama signed House resolution 627, (better known as the Credit Cardholder's Bill of Rights) into law yesterday. Setting aside the abuse of the Founding Fathers by the use of 'Bill of Rights' here, the abuse of the English language in calling this protection, and the continued abuse of the banking industry in putting this into law; I find that there is a problem here. (Of course the number of problems with this legislation are far too numerous to mention without getting far off of the subject at hand, but I may attempt to address them next week in another posting.) 

The problem that I see here is that while the law was passed by the House on April 30th, it was only passed by the Senate on April 19th. Signing into law on the 22nd means that there were only three days between passage and signing. But how could that be? President Obama promised us that there would be a wait of at least five days between the passage of a bill and signing it into law in the name of government transparency. 

Oh sure, I know that when we passed the second round of bailouts, there was no time to waste. The economy was in immediate danger and the legislation needed to be signed to avert disaster. Of course when it came to pass the latest federal budget, there was no time to waste either (apparently there was no time to read the entire budget bill either, but again, I digress). Again, the economy was in dire straits, and the people (?) must be served (have you noticed a certain level of sarcasm here). 

With HR 627 however, nothing in the legislation takes effect until 12 months after the date of signing or June 30, 2010; so obviously there should have been no rush to get this one signed into law. Now I'm sure it can't be that the President has gone back on his word for transparency in his Administration, nor could it be simply that the President is being disingenuous with us (more sarcasm ... you decide). I can only assume then, that government scientists, working in secret government labs, and after exhausting government funded research; have discovered a way to speed up time, turning 3 days into 5 days. I wish to congratulate these geniuses on solving one of the great problems of the ages. I am sure that when the actual announcement is made, that this group of dedicated explorers in the sciences will receive all wealth and recognition that they deserve (you know, a Nobel prize like Al Gore's). 

Speaking of wealth, I sure wish they would share this knowledge with me. Payday isn't until late next week, and I could use a trick like this to get me to it in a hurry. 

On a serious note: This is Memorial Day weekend, and while we are all looking forward to enjoying the first 3 day weekend of the summer, let's not forget those who served, those who continue to serve, and those who gave the ultimate service in protecting the freedom this country continues to enjoy. 

TFP Column: Handling Charges Do Apply

I have once again written a piece for the Toledo Free Press for the Memorial Day weekend edition, this week entitled "Handling charges do apply". It touches on the increasing role of government in delivering goods and services to us, and to the charges that we incur as a consequence. It might get you thinking a little bit. 

As you would expect however, there are a number of efforts far better than mine, including Tom Pound's piece on the growing number of candidates stepping up to run for office in Toledo, Michael Miller talks about the results of the "Song of Toledo" contest, and Maggie Thurber does a great piece on the history of Memorial Day. 

There is a lot of great stuff in this weekend's edition, and you've got a three day weekend to enjoy it, so please take the time to do so.

Projection

As you know, I often take great pains to point out in this blog that words do in fact mean things, especially some words. I have been thinking about such a word a good bit recently ... Projection. 

I have been thinking about it because like many words, it has more than one meaning. The first one that comes to mind is: An estimate of future possibilities based on a current trend. My desire for a true understanding of this meaning is a simple one, because so few in our local government seem to understand it. 

The $27 million budget crisis that Toledo faced in 2009 didn't happen over night. It was the product of years of unrealistic revenue forecasts, profligate spending, and the willingness to completely ignore reality. It was likewise the practice of creating an environment in this "livable city" equally hostile to both businesses and individuals through insufferable regulatory practices, onerous taxation, and outright belligerence on the part of the Mayor of Toledo. The combination of these inabilities, in combination with the current economic crisis, has proved to be a perfect storm for Toledo. 

It has taken what in normal circumstances would have been a troubling, but not life threatening situation into a disaster of Biblical proportions. Even with all of the cuts that the Mayor and City Council have made thus far to stem the incoming tide of red ink, it appears to have had little or no effect on the overall outcome of this flood of bad city finances. Unfortunately, it is another form of projection that seems to have taken hold. That definition of projection reads: The externalization of blame, guilt, or responsibility as a defense against anxiety.  

Unfortunately this appears to be the only form of projection that our city leaders seem capable of. The Mayor blames the City Council for their failure to do exactly as he says, in spite of the fact that he has never done even an adequate job of properly budgeting for the city. The Council blames the Mayor for failing to produce a balanced budget, in spite of the fact that it is Council that is supposed to control the purse strings of the city. While the Mayor presents a budget, it is Council which has the right and obligation to approve city spending (or deny it). 

Neither bothered to honestly attempt to understand the realities of the 2009 revenue or to spend responsibly in years past so as to have funds to fall back on when tough times invariably came. The horrible truth is that both parties are equally responsible for failing in their responsibility to the voters who placed them in office. 

Even now, in spite the fact that both parties have made some attempts in recent days to address the current situation, the city remains some $15 million in the red for the current budget, with worse news ahead of us going forward into 2010. There is another definition of this word that I would like to bring to the Mayor and Council's attention: A transforming change. Let us hope that there is yet the courage, the intelligence, and the political will to move past prior failures with the first two definitions that Projection gives and some hope of this transforming change.

 

Disposable Income

One of the things that the media seems to talk a lot about in these days of economic challenge is what we are to do with our disposable income. I have to tell you that I'm not sure what that's supposed to mean. The Merriam Webster dictionary defines disposable as "designed to be used once and then thrown away". 

Now I don't know about you, but based on that definition, the pure and simple truth of the matter is that I consider none of my income to be disposable. This is not to say that I don't have some bad habits (I mean lifestyle choices) which require capital infusions from time to time. I recently had a "kid in a candy store moment" during a recent trip to North Carolina with a stop at the J R store humidor and performed a corresponding investment in my cigar inventory. My travel sometimes allow me to stumble over a particularly good bottle of wine or liquor at a reasonable price that subsequently manages to find its way into my luggage. I even indulge myself from time to time in a meal better than one which requires me to decide what size french fries I would like with it. The income used for these choices is not something that I would call disposable however, but more like "choosing a style of life which I would like to become accustomed to if I could more easily afford it". 

You see, like most people out there, I live on a "fixed income". Oh not the kind that people who are retired from their labors talk about, but the kind that requires that I put in long and exhaustive hours to get a paycheck (for the same amount) every two weeks. I have supplemented this recently with the columns that I write for the Toledo Free Press, but this is after all a "free" newspaper, and as such they cannot afford to reward me with large sums of money for the meager prose that I produce for them. Also like most people I have a number of fixed costs. This includes money for the place that I live in, the utilities for it, an automobile (which thankfully is paid off), gas and maintenance of that auto, luxuries such as Internet service for the different things that I do (like this blog), and something more than ABC, NBC, CBS, and PBS for entertainment on television, and of course groceries that provide the nourishment that my body requires to survive. 

What the media then portrays as my disposable income I suppose then, is the money that I spend for the nourishment of my spirit. There is in fact a difference between simply living and being alive. I have to believe that there is more to life than simply existing or the sheer pointlessness of such an existence would drive me mad (hmmm, maybe I can use that as my excuse). I believe that words have to mean things, and in this case I have to say that as defined in today's common parlance, the term disposable income is a 'null input'. Today's media says enough already that has little or no meaning or relevance in the world as we know it. I wish therefore that this same media, who would like us to believe that they are so much wiser than the rest of us, would simply dispose of this term. 

TFP Column - Paying heed to the President

Experiencing the "Luck of the Irish", my writing effort this week was once again included in the Toledo Free Press. This week's effort, Paying heed to the President, speaks about the Presidents radio address of May 9 and of the confusion that I experienced as a consequence.

As usual however, my effort is neither the only nor the best effort in this weekend's Toledo Free Press. Michael Miller does a wonderful piece on kites, children, and the maturity that both bring. There is a tremendous piece by Brandi Barhite on a rising local political movement growing out of the Tea Party Movement. Christine Senack does a great piece on the recent "Stamp Out Hunger" Food Drive and on a recent Mom's House celebration. There was also an interesting piece by Maggie Dziubek for those hoping to see downtown become a viable living area.

So make sure you keep up with everything going on by reading this weekend's TFP.