Winston

We put Winston, my fifteen year old Brittany, to sleep this afternoon. Even though I knew it was coming it has still been a rough day. I think back on all the times we had together and cry, but also smile. He was a good dog and a great friend. I am blessed that he was in my life. I am thankful too, for, on more than one occasion, he probably saved my life as well. His presence made my decision to stay in Dallas. When things were rough, he was always there for me, and I tried to be there for him. In our front entryway, there is a thingamajig made of brass that he invariably bumped into these last few weeks when he was up. It was a way to let us know he needed something. Whenever I hear that again I will always think of him.



I shall use the rest of this entry to share some memories of him.


He came to me as a six week old puppy on December 24, 1995, a present from a girlfriend. I always said, "Got rid of the girlfriend, kept Winston." His first night with me was traumatic. I had to usher at Christmas Eve services. Barely had enough time to get a crate, a dish, and some dog food. When I came home early Christmas morning, he had left presents everywhere, so I cleaned up. We went to sleep on the couch.


He was very easy to potty train. I put a leash on the door and he learned very quickly that if he pawed at it, it was the signal to go outside. One time when I ignored the signal, he took it upon himself to use the bathroom.


Having a puppy in a 500 square foot apartment was a challenge. We took walks...long walks, sometimes up to five miles. Living in West Plano/East Lewisville there was plenty of room. We even walked on the Bush turnpike before it opened. We watched Fourth of July fireworks from the Bush bypass to the Dallas North Tollway one year.


Every morning I would wake up Winston would be sleeping on my feet.


While I lived in the apartment, I was spending one week a month in Maryland dealing with my father's estate. This meant Winston spent a lot of time at the Preston Royal Animal Clinic (where we took him for the last time today). He did not like being there and would bark the whole time and not keep down his food. They were as glad as he was when the trips to Maryland stopped and I moved into a house in Lakewood.

It was during the stay in Lakewood that the most frightening event occurred. The air conditioner was being worked on. The worker left the door ajar and Winston got loose. I was frantic. It was 5 pm and we lived near a busy street. I looked all around the house: no Winston. I went out to the garage to get in my car. Now the garage was in back of the house and as I went around to the driver side who should I see walking up the alley but Winston. We had established a walking pattern of going down the street to some vacant land and then coming back up the alley. This is what the purpose was, that he had a familiar pattern and would not get lost. Good boy Winston!

Another time (summer) the a/c was out (again!) on a weekend. When the temperature hit 100 degrees inside, it was time for us to check in at the La Quinta at Central and Meadow. He finally stopped panting and slept well.

Then there was the move to the apartment on McKinney. After living in a rental home for fifteen months, this cramped apartment was a change. And I started working, which meant he was confined for 14 hours a day. Walks were not part of the program since I was walking a route for the US Postal Service but Winston handled it admirably. Fortunately this was only temporary. When Cynthia and I became more than just friends, Winston and I moved into her house which had a nice backyard and a companion for him, Nicole.

One year Cynthia and I were hosting a garden party. Winston was confined to the dog pen. Somehow he got out and was standing by the gate waiting to be asked in. He went where the people were and not out the driveway.

At night while we were sleeping Winston would come into the bedroom and ask (woof) to be let up, which in my sleep I always let him do.

Finally came the day when Nicole left us. We were going to Houston two days later so Winston went to spend the weekend at Preston Royal Animal Clinic. When we brought him home, he raced through the house looking for Nicole.

He adjusted to Nicole's departure well. He welcomed a new companion in October, Frankie. Frankie was more of an alpha than Winston but he adjusted. He was beginning to show signs of age. His hips were weakening, he had lens luxation, and congestive heart failure. His diet became more specialized. He began to have panic attacks and sometimes aspirated. During one of these aspirations his tongue began to turn blue and we got him to the Emergency Animal Clinic in five minutes. There are no speed limits in an emergency. We found that rubbing his throat worked just as well. Eventually he lost his left eye but he adjusted. This past summer his right eye went blind and his world was the couch, the bed, his dish, and outside (where he had to be led by a leash). But as long as he was happy, we could deal with the various issues. By Thanksgiving we knew the time was short so we arranged for his last appointment with Dr. Cameron. We brought him in and said goodbye. When it was done Frankie sniffed him and then kissed him goodbye.

Midterm Elections 2010

The midterm elections are finally (with a couple of exceptions) over and the networks can start running ads for Christmas shopping. I am a political junkie but even I became nauseated by the amount of advertising for the various candidates in this past cycle. Now we get to the fun part of elections: the oracle known as the American electorate has spoken and we can spend hours trying to analyze what it means.

In Dallas there were few upsets. The state representative from Lakewood ( a Democrat) lost but other than that, the status quo reigned. District Attorney Craig Watkins (D) edged out a victory over Danny Clancy (R) in one of the more hotly contested elections. Eddie Bernice Johnson won a tenth term easily in spite of a scandal over the awarding of scholarships and a pending ethics investigation. My own state representative, Alan Hartnett, also had little trouble in dealing with a very well funded Democratic opponent. Other races across the state were as predicted with the exception of long-term Democratic incumbent Chet Edwards losing in Waco.

In my opinion, the key factor in Dallas County is its continued move into the Democrats column. This is most notable in the election for County Commissioner, where the Democrats now have a majority. The implications of this are economic. Will the commissioners be more likely to approve tax increases versus budget cuts to meet the expected shortfalls?

World Series Recap

The Rangers lost game 5 of the World Series and the San Francisco Giants are World Champions. The Giants deserve it. They out pitched us and got the key hits when they needed them. As I wrote previously, I am not disappointed. Many Ranger fans share this feeling. Nobody (except maybe Nolan Ryan) expected this team to still be playing in November. And to be playing meaningful games after the Cowboys were through for the year. But now we have been to the mountaintop. We have seen the Promised Land. Wait until next year!

World Series Game 4

Madison Bumgardner? The rookie put it to us last night. He didn't get a lot of strikeouts but the Rangers hitters never seemed to get good wood on the ball. The game basically turned on one pitch by Tommy Hunter to Aubrey Huff. Result? San Francisco 4, Rangers 0, San Francisco leads three games to one.
I am more at peace with the concept the Rangers may not win the Series. It is the belief that just getting there considering this franchise's history is a major accomplishment that should not be belittled. It is almost as if winning the Series would just be icing on the cake.

World Series Game 3

Home Sweet Home! Finally, the Rangers are pitching, hitting, running, and fielding like they have been most of the year. Colby Lewis was outstanding on the hill. The three run homer by Mitch Moreland with two out was fantastic, as was Josh's solo shot. And Neftali Feliz three out save was the icing on the cake.
One peeve through all this jubilation. Joe Buck insists on calling the Rangers shortstop Elvis "Ahn-Drus" even when the Rangers announce him as Elvis "An-druze". To some it's a small thing, but it demonstrates a lack of professionalism.

World Series Games 1 and 2

If you need a definition of ugly, all you have to do is look at the first two games of the 2010 World Series if you are a Rangers fan. In Game 1, Cliff Lee allows seven runs. In Game 2, the bull pen can't find the strike zone and walks in a couple of runs. But it takes four wins and it is coming to Texas.
It's ironic I suppose that I am taking these losses better than those in the LCS. I am satisfied already with having clinched the American League pennant. Do the Rangers feel the same way? If so, we are in for a short series.

A Tribute to Those Who Didn't Make It

...to the World Series as Senators and/or Rangers. The heroes of my youth.
Frank Howard, Ken McMullen, Mike Epstein, Paul Casanova, Camilo Pascual, Phil Ortega.
Casey Cox, Ron Hansen, Ed Stroud, Joe Coleman, Bob Humphreys, Del Unser, Sid Hudson.
Jim Sundberg, Bill Fahey, Ned Yost, Mike Hargrove, Pat Putnam, Pete O'Brien.
Toby Harrah, Buddy Bell, Steve Buechele, Dean Palmer, Bump Wills, Jim Fregosi.
Richie Zisk, Al Oliver, Jeff Burroughs, Roy Smalley, Wayne Tolleson, Oscar Gamble.
Bernie Allen, Hank Allen, Brant Alyea, Juan Beniquez, Dirty Kurt Bevacqua, Ed Brinkman.
Doug Camili, Rico Carty, Pepe Tovar, Mike Cubbage, Tim Cullen, Jack Daugherty, John Ellis.
Rusty Greer, Dave Hostetler, Oddibe McDowell, Lenny Randle, Billy Sample, Larry Parrish.
Gino Petralli, Mike Stanley, Bob Saverine, Rusty Staub, Bobby Thompson.
Mike Bacsik, Cap Peterson, Frank Tanana, Bert Blyleven, Gaylord Perry, Ferguson Jenkins.
David Clyde, Jim Umbarger, Jim Gideon, Steve Foucalt, Danny Darwin, Bill Gogolewski.
Denny Higgins, Jon Matlack, Jim Kern, Kenny Rogers, Kevin Brown, Doc Medich, Doc Ellis.
Mitch Williams, Bobby Witt.
And to three men who labored to give us hope in the bad times:
Tom Vandegriff, Dick Riesenhoover, and Mark Holtz. RIP

HELLO WORLD SERIES!

The Texas Rangers defeated the New York Yankees tonight to clinch the American League pennant and advance to the World Series. There are so many things I want to write about but I will wait until Saturday to do so. At this point in time I just want to savor the moment.

Game 5

It wasn't pretty in the Bronx last night. The Rangers lost 7-2. C. J. Wilson didn't have his stuff. Neither did C. C. Sabathia but what he did have was a good imitation of it. In my gut, I did not expect Texas to win yesterday. If the Yankees had any pride, they were going to go down fighting, if for no other reason than to prevent Texas from clinching on their field. But can that carry them for two more games?

Game 4 ALCS

There is nothing sweeter in baseball than your baseball team playing in a quiet Yankee Stadium. Texas Rangers fans have been treated to this wonder for two nights in a row. Is it to much to ask for thirds?
Game 4 did not start out well. Tommy Hunter looked shaky from the start. When Cano hit that fan-aided home run I got a sinking feeling, not helped by Berkman's screamer that was just foul. But this team doesn't give up. With the bases loaded in the fourth and one out, in came Derek Holland. A hot grounder hit to the hole between short and third is flagged by Elvis Andrus. A run scores but he threw out the runner trying to advance to third. The inning ended and out came the Rangers bats. A three run homer by Bengie Molina gives Texas the lead and there was no looking back. Homers by Hamilton (2) and Cruz were icing on the cake.
Game 5 is at 3 today. Do you think work productivity in the Dallas-Fort Worth area might see a mild decrease around that time?
It is funny how expectations change. A week ago it was enough to get to the ALCS. Saturday one home win was enough. Monday it was winning one game at Yankee Stadium. Tuesday it was taking two out of three. Not to be greedy but now it would be awesome to finish it on Wednesday.

Something to Share

Some may think this sacrilegious but it's cute if seen in the right light.

Our CLIFF LEE, who art in Texas, hallowed by thy name.
Thy win will come, it will be done, in Texas as it was in Tampa.
Give us this Friday, our weekly win.
Give us strikes and homeruns, but do not let others homerun against us.
Lead us not into frustration, but deliver us to the World Series...for thine is the MVP, the best of the League, and the glory of the team that God loves, now and forever. Amen.

From Texas Fishing Forum via KLUV radio

Game 3

The season just keeps getting better and better. The Rangers won tonight, 8-0. This was a game the Rangers had to have. Cliff Lee was pitching and when your ace is on the mound you don't want to waste his effort. What kind of effort? How about eight shutout innings, allowing only two hits, one walk, and thirteen strikeouts? We are witnessing a phenomenon. This has been one of the great postseason pitching efforts ever. Hopefully we will see a couple more.
I had a good feeling about this game when Josh Hamilton hit a two-run homer in the top of the first. If you stake Lee to any type of lead before he even throws a pitch he becomes that much more effective. And the Yankees looked helpless in their at bats. The shame is, from their point of view, Andy Pettite threw a great game as well. He missed on one pitch, the ome to Hamilton and that was the difference. Baseball is like that.
There has been talk that with Lee being a free agent at the end of the season he is bound for New York. In fact some act as if it is a done deal. I don't think so, yet. Lee strikes me as being someone who makes up his own mind. He appears very comfortable here and he is close to his Arkansas roots. Not every great pitcher enjoys his stay in New York, just ask Kenny Rogers and Randy Johnson.

Game 2 ALCS: Goodbye Monkey, Hello Win Column

The Rangers defeated the Yankees by a score of 7-2 and in so doing removed two monkeys from their backs. It ended the Yankee postseason winning streak against them at ten, and it was their first home playoff win ever. As Ernie Johnson put it, it was 49 years in coming. And it was sweet! Especially after the Friday Night Debacle.
Pitching. Colby Lewis struck out 11. The bullpen did its job. Oliver, Rapada, Ogando, and Feliz did what they were supposed to.
Fielding. No errors. No silly mistakes.
Hitting. David Murphy hit a home run and a double. Bengie had a double. Josh Hamilton walked four times, two of those intentional, and had two stolen bases. Elvis Andrus ran wild on the basepaths and a double steal led to a run. Being over-aggressive hurt on Friday but the Rangers did not let up.
So the series is tied one game apiece. Cal Ripken said it is now a five game series and the Rangers have Cliff Lee for two of those games. The Yankee starting pitching has been shaky, both Sabathia and Hughes were hit hard. The Yankee bullpen has been solid so the strategy is get out in front early for Texas. Bring on Monday night!

I HATE the New York Yankees

6-5. Enough said.

Game 5

The Rangers did it. They finally got the monkey off their back. No more " the only team in the Major Leagues never to win a playoff series." Now we get the Yankees starting Friday night. But for now, the worst weekend ever has segued into the best Tuesday night ever. If Ron Washington is not the manager of the year they should not even bother giving out the award. This Ranger team is so different from those teams of the past. We all knew something was up when Bengie Molina stole a base. They realized that aggressive base running was the key. Nellie Cruz steals third base, the throw is wild and he scores. On two occasions, Elvis Andrus and the speedy Vlad Guerrero scored from second on infield grounders.
Those three runs were more than enough for Cliff Lee, who did what Cliff Lee does, shut down the opposition with eleven strikeouts and a first strike percentage of around 75 percent. Phenomenal.
I know the ALCS is forty nine hours away but allow me the time to savor this after 49 years of frustration.

Politics and the Media

That's a nice and vague title, don't you think?
As we approach the 2010 midterm elections we once again are treated to the specter of news as entertainment. The cable news networks have thrown objectivity and impartiality under the bus in the quest for ratings. FOX sounds like 24 advertisement for the Tea Party. MSNBC consists of a number of shills who think the President isn't Progressive enough, and CNN is the in the later stages of Alzheimers. It becomes increasingly difficult to see if they are operating from the same palnet.
It didn't used to be like this. For a brief instant the news media prided itself on its objectivity to the point that Walter Cronkite could be the most trusted man in America. But that trust was fleeting. President Nixon talked about the "silent majority" of Americans who supported the war in Vietnam ignored by the media. By the 1980s, conservatives were talking about a Liberal Media Agenda which gave rise to Rush Limbaugh. The 1980s gave rise to this joke about print media:
"How would the major newspapers report the end of the world?"
The Washington Post headline would be: "World to End White House Sources Say"
The New York Times would run: "World Ends. Reagan to Blame"
The Wall Street Journal: "World Ends. Markets to Close Early"
and
USA Today: "We're All Dead! Absolute Final Boxscores page 6G"
In England at the same time the television show Yes Prime Minister recycled this classically British version. The episode "A Conflict of Interest" humorously lampoons the various political stances of Britain's newspapers through their readers
Hacker: Don't tell me about the press. I know exactly who reads the papers: the Daily Mirror is read by people who think they run the country; The Guardian is read by people who think they ought to run the country; The Times is read by people who actually do run the country; the Daily Mail is read by the wives of the people who run the country; the Financial Times is read by people who own the country; The Morning Star is read by people who think the country ought to be run by another country; and The Daily Telegraph is read by people who think it is.
Sir Humphrey: Prime Minister, what about the people who read The Sun?
Bernard: Sun readers don't care who runs the country, as long as she's got big tits.

Worst Sports Weekend Ever (No, but darn close!)

Reason number one as to why I do not bet on sporting events: I go with my heart.
For me, this weekend just passed in the sports world was a bad one. Alabama lost. Sewanee lost. Baylor lost. Ohio State won. Notre Dame won. The Cowboys lost (at least that was to Vince Young and Tennessee). At least SMU won and Maryland did not play. Then there was baseball.
Things were looking up Saturday afternoon. The Rangers were up two games to none with Saturday and Sunday's games in Arlington. Michael Young and Ian Kinsler were hitting again in the game 2 victory Thursday and it looked as if Tampa Bay could not buy a clue. In game three it was neck and neck until about the sixth inning and then the Rangers bullpen imploded. Today the Rangers were behind but had the bases loaded and Vladimir Guerrero at the plate. They got nothing. Our hope resides in the left arm of Cliff Lee Tuesday night.

Rangers-Rays Game 1

Eleven years in the making, the Texas Rangers began their playoff run today. Everything seemed to go right. Cliff Lee did what Cliff Lee does. He had some first inning trouble and then shut down the Tampa Bay lineup. Ten strikeouts, less than 110pitches. I had a feeling things were going to be okay when Josh Hamilton got a hit in his first at bat. And Nellie Cruz launched a moonshot over the center field wall on a 3-0 pitch was good as well. But the wonderful thing was where the real hitting came from: Jeff Francoeur and Bengie Molina. They combined for four of the Ranger hits, including Molina's home run to left field. And they were the bottom of the order. One down, ten to go.
Texas fans are due for a little success. The Rangers are the only team in Major League Baseball never to win a playoff series, a dubious honor. Rangers fans heartbreak goes back nearly forty years. My own goes back a little further. Being born in Washington D.C., I knew them as the Senators, so I have suffered with the Senators/Rangers all my life.
THE TIME IS NOW.

The Use of History for Political Ends

Noted historian Jill Lepore has recently published The Whites of Their Eyes: The Tea Party and the Battle over American History (Princeton University Press 2010). Her ostensible intent is to demonstrate the danger of crafting past events to fit present goals.
This book is disappointing on so many levels because it could have been so much better. I pass over the errors in fact checking to get to the heart of the matter. The Whites of Their Eyes is little more than a Progressive screed against perceived enemies. This is disappointing. It could have, should have been a great historiographical essay on changing values extracted from the War of Independence. Instead Lepore presents the reader with a selective caricature of the Tea Party movement.
Her misrepresentations are legion. Here are a few: Yes, Rand Paul, the Republican Senate candidate from Kentucky, has a problem with the Civil Rights Act of 1964. Unfortunately, Lepore does not explain what the problem is. If one is at least paying lip service to the idea of objectivity or fairness, should you not say something more than he objects to this law? Not if you are writing a political text.
As for the idea of discerning the original intent of the Founders, Lepore "Borks" this idea literally and figuratively. She states it as a goal of the Tea Party and associates it with Judge Bork. For her this is enough said in its defense. She does, in a vacuum, provide several good counters to this theory but never really states what "Original Intent" is. In discussing the Lincoln-Douglas Debates, she does not catch the fact that in regard to slavery Lincoln referred to the Declaration of Independence while Douglas referred to the Constitution. Their different appeals is crucial to understanding both sides of this issue. Understanding both sides of an issue is something Ms. Lepore seems unwilling to do. That is well and good for a political work but not a work of history. She decries selective history while being guilty of the same offense.
The use of history for political ends is an ongoing problem. Unfortunately, Ms. Lepore only adds to the mess. Margaret Macmillan's Dangerous Games is a much better resource.

A Brief Entry

One modern trend often blamed for Europe's lack of cultural confidence is relativism, both philosophical and cultural. The transmission of what you have inherited , and the act of defending yourself against dangers, seems to require a belief in the worth of what is to be transmitted and defended: and relativism radically undermines that.
-Theodore Dalrymple. The New Vichy Syndrome: Why European Intellectuals Surrender to Barbarism. (page 45) Encounter Books. 2010

BALLGAME!

It has been eleven years since the Texas Rangers have won the American League West. But at approximately 6:15 pm CDT on September 25, 2010 they clinched. Certainly not without a lot of drama and unusual heroes. Jorge Cantu, an acquisition from the Marlins, who seemed a total bust, drives in his first RBI as a Ranger, and then follows up with his first home run. We even had a flashback to the bad old days. With one out in the ninth, Neftali Feliz on the mound going for a rookie record 38th save, the Oakland player hits a fly to right center. Jeff Francoeur (a great acquisition from the Mets) and Julio Borbon do the old "I got it, you take it." But the Rangers prevailed.
Knowing the North Texas fan base, there will be a serious sale on deer antlers this week.
It is still early to talk about postseason awards, but the Rangers should have some numerous contenders. The General Manger, John Daniels, no longer the Boy Blunder, with all the acquisitions he has made, not just this summer, but in building this team from nothing, should be the Executive of the Year. Note to Jerry Jones: See what a difference a real general manger can make.
There has been plenty of talk about Ron Washington as Manager of the Year. He certainly has pushed the right buttons, set the appropriate attitude, and is the poster model for the second chance. Here is a man who had to endure the public revelation of a failed drug test in the off season. Nolan Ryan stuck by him and it paid off.
Speaking of second chances, there is Josh Hamilton, a player of immense talent, a real-life Roy Hobbs. A player whose career was on the skids due to drugs. But he got a second chance and announced to the baseball world his return with that fantastic display in the Home Run Contest at the All Star Game. He may be the MVP.
Then there is Michael Young, 1502 games in a Ranger uniform, no playoffs. And Darren Oliver, a starter back in the "glory days", picked up in the off season as a middle reliever. The list goes on.

Responsibility (part 2)

We can tolerate celebrities being irresponsible by asking "does it really affect me"? Only if you pay attention to it. But there is an area of irresponsible behavior that affects each and every one of us daily: government. Governments at all levels, national, state, and local have been engaging in irresponsible behavior for years. Like Lindsay Lohan's producer, we have been the enablers. Do we really care if government is irresponsible? As long as a majority of people believe they are receiving more than they are giving, the behavior of government officials will not change. We are at the point where we need to revisit the question of what is the purpose of government?
Here in Dallas, county and city budgets are being debated. Revenue is down due to the collapse of the housing market. There have been some budget cuts to close the shortfall but now there is talk of raising taxes. The dividing lines are clear. Property owners are against it. Renters are for it. Why? Both pay taxes. The property owner feels the increasing tax bite directly. The renter only indirectly. The owner of the rental property gets it both ways: He must pay the increased tax, and then his tenants blame him for raising the rent. The renters are better organized than the owners and pressure government to maintain services. It is those services that cut to the heart of the question what is the purpose of government?
Police, Fire, Water, Sewage. Those are the very basics to a healthy and safe city. That is why the bureaucrats always target them first for cuts. To scare people. What is the next level? Libraries and Recreation Centers. These are nice but do we need so many?

So the City Council has approved a tax hike, the highest in twenty years. Angela Hunt calls that "semantics". Perhaps. But her logic is weak. She states that taxes had to be increased to meet the level of revenue from two years ago. If revenue has decreased, it is either that the economy is bad or the tax base is shrinking or both. Growth is not encouraged but rather discouraged by increasing the tax rate. Perhaps we should sell WRR or Executive Airport. Are either of these businesses that the city should be in?

Responsibility

I plan on taking the opportunity of utilizing this forum to discuss responsibility. Now, one may note I have not been very responsible in keeping this up to date in recent weeks. Mea Culpa. Yet, my irresponsibility does not disqualify me from commenting on it.
We have a culture that increasingly rewards irresponsible behavior. One only has to look at the latest headlines to see evidence of this. The current poster child for irresponsible behavior is Lindsey Lohan. A minor star in the Hollywood firmament, Ms. Lohan is better known for her frequent encounters with the legal system than for any artistic endeavors. She is arrested on a drug charge, gets probation, violates probation, goes to jail, is let out early, violates probation again. The definition of insanity is repeating a behavior in hope of a different result. Ms. Lohan qualifies. But she is not alone. The producer of her latest film has said that he supports her and talent is what matters most.
Talent is what matters most
I wonder if the other investors in this project would agree. Do they mind the cost overruns due to her incarcerations? I doubt it. The producer is an enabler. He is allowing her to postpone the consequences of her actions. He is keeping her from hitting bottom.
To put it in perspective: If your surgeon was the best in the field but had a serious drug problem would you say "Talent is what matters most"?

The Mosque

Okay, so I'm a pretty conservative guy. But in regard to all the latest hullabaloo over the Mosque/Islamic Cultural Center near Ground Zero, I am taking a position not identified with "Conservatives". That is, I do not oppose this concept. It does not mean that I like it. Doing the right thing often means doing those things we do not like. There is something known as the First Amendment that should be remembered in this debate. If the government can tell Muslims they can't have a mosque somewhere why should it bother me? Because who will be left when the government says we can't have a church somewhere. After World War II, Martin Niemoller said:

When the Nazis came for the communists,I remained silent;I was not a communist.When they locked up the social democrats,I remained silent;I was not a social democrat.When they came for the trade unionists,I did not speak out;I was not a trade unionist.When they came for the Jews,I remained silent;I wasn't a Jew.When they came for me,there was no one left to speak out.

In A Man for All Seasons, Thomas More has this conversation with William Roper regarding the law:

William Roper: So, now you give the Devil the benefit of law!

Sir Thomas More: Yes! What would you do? Cut a great road through the law to get after the Devil?

William Roper: Yes, I'd cut down every law in England to do that!

Sir Thomas More: Oh? And when the last law was down, and the Devil turned 'round on you, where would you hide, Roper, the laws all being flat? This country is planted thick with laws, from coast to coast, Man's laws, not God's! And if you cut them down, and you're just the man to do it, do you really think you could stand upright in the winds that would blow then? Yes, I'd give the Devil benefit of law, for my own safety's sake!

I believe this is a political football and a dangerous one at that. Have we become so short-sighted that we have no idea of the long-term implications of this? We need to think this through for our own well-being.

I Wish I Wrote That!

There are two basic kinds of history- studies, which academic historians mainly deal in, and stories, which the writers and teachers of narrative history tell. And history as a story is great drama. Viewing it as a series of dramatic scenes involving people, you can travel back in time and set down anywhere in any age and something fascinating and dramatic is happening. Somebody is doing something utterly riveting and probably doing it to somebody else. History, taught and written as drama in all of its nuances, is irresistible, more engaging than any book of fiction ever written. Edward Bellamy, the nineteenth century American author, wrote that "on no other stage are the scenes shifted with a swiftness so like magic as on the great stage of history when once the hour strikes."

History is a fantastic story about people. It has every element of dramatic fiction. It has tension and conflict. It has plot and subplot and counterplot. It has drama. It casts lights and shadows into all the corners of human conduct. It is a page turner, and what makes it better than fiction is the fact that it is a fact- it is true. It really happened.

Willa Cather, the twentieth century American novelist, said that the history of every country begins in the heart of a man or a woman. That is indeed what history is all about. It is what the Civil War boils down to. It is a story that begins- and ends- in the hearts of those who lived it. And passing it down the ages is akin to what Sara Pryor, a Confederate woman writing after the war, said of passing one thought from heart to heart- it is like passing "a bit of flame" from one age to another.

If somebody detested history in school it was because it was not taught as a great story, as drama- as a bit of flame- passing from heart to heart. Stephen Ambrose, who wrote history with verve and insight, said once in an interview: "Academic history has lost the power of the narrative. It's lost its audience. And they don't even know it.; Their audience is the eighteen, nineteen-year old American. And those kids come into the classroom, and look up at you and say, "Tell us about our heroes and what did they do?" And they don't get any answer from academic historians. And as a consequence the kids don't take history courses. And as a consequence of that, history departments go down in size. And the aggrieved professors never figure out why."


Ambrose, an academic historian who did figure out why, tried to tell the others, "Look, you've got to tell them about George Washington and Thomas Jefferson [or in Ambrose's case about Lewis and Clark or the hero-soldiers of World War II] then, after that, you can get into the role of women, demographic statistics and stuff like that. But you've got to tell them what it was really like at Valley Forge. And how tough Washington's decision was dealing with the Hessians. You have to give them the foundations of what this country is all about."

What history is all about is people. What Ambrose said of Washington and Jefferson must also be said of the heroes of the Civil War. History that grips the imagination is the history that tells about people and what happened to them in their particular moment in history- history told as a whopping good story.

John C. Waugh. 20 Good Reasons to Study the Civil War. (pp. 85-87)

Grab the Beer, Pop the Chute...

...or, one day I will get around to Edmund Ross.
Steven Slater is the hot topic of the day. He is the real life Howard Beale. For those of you, Beale was the crazy anchorman in the movie Network. Played by Peter Finch, he is best known for uttering the phrase, "I'm as mad as hell, and I'm not going to take it anymore." This led to a ratings spike, but when they came back down, Beale was assassinated on live television.
For those of you who don't know, Slater is the JetBlue flight attendant who after asking a passenger to sit down ("until the aircraft comes to a complete halt") was cursed at. He may have even been struck by a bag being removed from the overhead ("remember articles may have shifted during the flight"). Evidently this was Slater's "mad as hell moment." He returned to the front of the plabe, got on the intercom, let loose a profanity laced tirade, grabbed a couple of beers, poppped the emergency chute ("remove shoes and other sharp objects"), and went home. Was Johnny Paycheck's Take this Job and Shove It playing on the radio?
In the Irony department, the other story of note was a woman who wanted Chicken McNuggets before 10:30 am. When informed it was too early, she went ballistic. Striking the attendant and breaking the glass, all caught on tape.
What has happened to Society? It appears we have become spoiled brats. I am a teacher and I see this type of behavior all too often. Students send you an email, and when you don't respond fast enough to suit them, they send a second. I am not talking days but hours, single digit hours. The requests go on ad infinitum.
There is a great little book called The Tyranny of Email by John Freeman that covers this aspect in more detail but I believe it is only symptomatic of a much greater problem. We have become flat out rude. Have you ever been parked between two SUV's and tried to back out? You carefully begin to move so that an approaching vehicle has time to slow down. What do they do? They honk at you and keep right on going. Makes you wonder how they treat blind people.

Where Were You When...?

I remember like it was only yesterday. Actually it was one o'clock this morning. The Texas Rangers had just beaten the Seattle Mariners. It was the post game show. They interrupted with a live news flash that the war was over. No, wrong memory. The auction was over and the Ryan-Greenberg group had won. The prize? The Texas Rangers Professional Baseball Club. How American is that? Nolan Ryan, Hall of Fame pitcher for four teams, now has an ownership stake in one of those teams. And how apropo that it came on the anniversary of one of the great moments of his storied career. No, not the seven no-hitters. Not the 5,000th strikeout or the 300th win. I'm referring to the Fracas in Texas, Dr. K's KO, the Donnybrook in Arlington, Ryan-Ventura, when Robin Ventura charged the mound and Nolan Ryan, in the words of Tony Kornheiser, gave him multiple noogies to the head.
Last night, that image kept running through my head, only Mark Cuban was playing the role of Robin Ventura.
What does it mean for the Texas Rangers? Hopefully, no more questions about the ownership situation. Now that distraction is out of the way. I believe this little mini-slump of the past few days can be correlated to the uncertainty. Now, hopefully, that is behind them. Maybe this is next year.

The Joys of Online Teaching

Here I was planning to grade some online quizzes tonight and then do a blog entry on Edmund Ross. Well, you'll have to wait until next time to find out about Senator Ross. Those plans went up in smoke about an hour ago. I was grading a quiz when the system kicked me out. Like anyone else, I tried to log back in. No luck. What to do?
Go to e-mail! Why? Because students taking the quiz were kicked out also. Those attempting to take the quiz who can't get in also email their concerns. I have spent the last hour responding to questions with the same mantra: "System crashed. Quiz extended by 24 hours."
I am being optimistic. The first semester I taught an online class the system crashed during finals. It took more than a week for it to come back online.
Online learning could be a great tool but there are still many bugs in the system.
Gotta go before my inbox explodes.

The Impeachment of Andrew Johnson

Why in the world would I write about Andrew Johnson? Because his story provides insight into what a small cross section of the college students of 2010 are thinking. To refresh your memory: Andrew Johnson was a Democratic senator from Tennessee in 1861. He was the only Senator from a seceded state not to resign and go with his state. He represented people who were Unionist, poor white, anti-planter hierarchy. Because of his stand, Lincoln chose Johnson as his vice-president on the Union Party ticket in 1864. Upon his accession to the Presidency, Johnson tried to continue Lincoln's policy of letting the South up easy. Congress, led by Radical Republicans such as Sumner and Stevens did not agree. Johnson vetoed numerous bills dealing with Reconstruction and also fired Secretary of War, Edwin Stanton, a holdover from Lincoln's administration and an ally of the Radicals. Charges were brought against Johnson for obstruction of justice (the vetoes) and violating the Tenure of Office Act (firing Stanton). The House impeached him but he escaped conviction by one vote in the Senate. Was his impeachment justified?
The historical interpretation for years has been no. These crimes did not constitute impeachable offenses. Perhaps a legal battle over the Tenure of Office Act, but not impeachment. Would the President be serving at the whim of Congress? Would we now have a more parliamentary system?
Yet this is not how college students view this event today. Here is one student's response (warts and all):

Johnson's actions were the complete opposite of the what would be good for society. The point of the war was to establish equality, and eliminate slavery, not keep people in a state of captivity and as second class citizens. Johnson wanted to keep the status quo, not change it. I believe that Congress' actions were completely justified because they were very lenient and patient with him as far as allowing him to challenge all of their new reconstruction laws, but when someone tries to put themselves above the law to suit their own self interest; there should always be consequences to those action. In Johnsons' case it is being impeached



Ignore (if possible) the grammar and spelling. This was a response given in a test. How were Johnson's actions the complete opposite of what would be good for society? Was the point of the war to establish equality and if so, what type of equality? Political, economic, or social? Was the elimination of slavery one of the goals of the war? Status quo is not defined. Is it the status quo in the South? Did Johnson want the planter aristocracy to remain in control? How was Congress lenient and patient with Johnson? Did that matter? Notice there is no mention of the Constitution or of Due Process. Also lacking is any sort of idea as to what the ramifications would have been if Johnson had been convicted. The President must respond to the will of the people, vox populi, vox deo. We don't want leaders, we want opinion poll watchers.

How Should We Honor Jayne Peters?

Yesterday, I mentioned how tragedy was an overworked word: LeBron James no, Pat Tillman yes. Today we have a real tragedy. Evidently, Jayne Peters, the mayor of Coppell, killed her daughter and then turned the gun on herself. Speculation has led to the motive being despair over her husband's death from cancer two years ago and ensuing financial difficulties. Some are outraged that the city flag has been lowered to half-staff. Others are equally incensed that the memorial service held today was a joint one. "How could you honor someone who murdered their daughter?", they ask in self-righteous indignation.
How should we honor her indeed?
Apparently, this was a human being who was suffering. Suffering so greatly that the only way out was suicide. She was trapped. It has been reported that twice within the last year the bank almost foreclosed on her house. Could she have sold it? I don't know, she may have been underwater on the mortgage. Perhaps she was trying to maintain appearances. She didn't want anyone to know of the difficulty she was in. It is possible that she believed such a revelation would be politically harmful. She would not be the first person who was guilty of 'keeping up appearances.' It is more pervasive than we like to think. "Never let them see you sweat", and "Keep a stiff upper lip," are just two cliches that come to mind. Often we believe that friends and family don't want to know of our problems. They have enough of their own. Yet sharing difficulties can be therapeutic. Doesn't the definition of friend include the concept of one whi is with you through good times and bad? It is my belief that those who are so quick to condemn Jayne Peters either have never been in her shoes or are in denial that they have been there. Depression is easy to condemn, it is difficult to treat because the cure is love, which means giving of one's self.
So, how should we honor Jayne Peters appropriately?
By listening to those we love.

It's Been a While

I'm back.
The last two weeks have been hectic with the first term of summer school ending, the second beginning, a death in the family. So what has been going on in the world?
LeBron James signed with the Miami Heat. Will this be a moment where, years from now, we will ask, "do you remember where you were when LeBron announced?" No. The reputation of ESPN as Sports Journalism is circling down the drain. They are now hucksters caught up in the moment. The day ESPN became a part of Disney was the beginning of the end. It is now LeBron, Tiger, Brett. Nothing else matters. No perspective, nothing. LeBron leaving Cleveland is supposed to be a great tragedy for the city by the lake. No. Tragedy is Pat Tillman leaving a high paying job in the NFL in order to serve his country only to be killed by friendly fire. Tragedy is so many things: "The Decision" is not one of them. What it is is Comedy. The old fashioned definition that points out the follies of our life. I do not believe that the textbook publishers began palns for new editions of their history textbooks because of "The Decision."
But I could be wrong.

Long Time, No Write

I must apologize for my absence this week. We are getting to the end of the first term of summer school and I have been trying to avoid getting caught in the trap of catching up on all my paperwork on the last day of classes.
The Fourth of July is once again upon us. Tomorrow will be our neighborhood parade (Everybody Marches!). Its fun and a good stretch of the legs. Sunday will be the big show. Once again, our church is putting on its annual " A Musical Fourth". Much preparation goes into this. The singers have been rehearsing for the last month and there are several difficult pieces. The signs have been put up, the decorations will be finished tomorrow, and all should be set to go. My part in all this is minimal, I'm a singer. Afterwards there will be barbecue and pie tasting. A good time will be had by all.
There is one person who, more than anyone else, is responsible for this. It is her initial vision of a concert of patriotic music on the Fourth of July that has led to all this. She is a singer. She is in charge of publicity, she oversees the program and the decorations. She is an organizing dynamo. Every year , the rest of us gripe and complain, but she sticks to the vision and gets the job done. I would mention her by name but that is not her style. She is the one I hold especially dear in my heart.

Forrest McDonald, part two

In my recent post on Dr. McDonald I commented on his teaching abilities. I must enter a few comments on his writings. We the People was earth shattering. For forty years historians had accepted unconditionally and taught what is known as the Beard Thesis on the writing of the Constitution, that the Founders drew up the document to protect their financial interests. Beard had delved into the financial records of the men at Philadelphia and found them wanting. McDonald took this to the next step. He researched the records of not just the men at Philadelphia, but those who attended the state ratification conventions. He demonstrated conclusively that the Beard thesis was not airtight. A brilliant and important book but not Dr. McDonald's best. Of all his writings, We the People is the most difficult read. The two books to follow are more indicative of a developed style. Whereas We the People can be considered an updated economic history of the Constitution, E Pluribus Unum and Novus Ordo Seclorum are the political and intellectual histories of that document respectively. Combined, the three books give one a thorough grounding in our how and why the Constitution was written. After finishing these, read A Constitutional History of the United States to see how the story proceeds over the next two centuries, if you can find it. To see how one of the key figures behind the Constitution implemented, read Alexander Hamilton: A Biography, still the best work on the first Secretary of the Treasury to date. The explanation of Hamilton's financial plan alone is worth the price.

The World Cup

Congratulations to Team USA for its thrilling 91st minute victory over Algeria to move on to the next round of the World Cup. Now for the rant. Am I the only one sick of the ESPN/ABC/ Disney hype over the World Cup? Hardly a mention on ESPNews of Wimbledon, Baseball (unless its the College World Series which they're covering) or any other sport. What's the matter? Did Tiger Woods, LeBron James, and Brett Favre (the three greatest athletes ever according to ESPN) go into hibernation? Commentators have been debating whether this victory is one of the greatest sports moments ever. Are you kidding me? Its not even the greatest American soccer moment ever! Two words: Brandi Chastain. Her World Cup clinching penalty kick was much more dramatic. Team USA (2010 version) was supposed to advance to the next round. They played in the weakest group and they had to pull out a last minute (literally) win over Algeria to do it. Algeria! This is a dramatic win but not a great win. Is it a great win if Texas beats Sewanee on a last second field goal? No. It's a great win if Sewanee beats Texas but that hasn't happened in a century. It comes down to hype: ESPN and all its related entities are going to hype this to draw in more viewers which means more advertising dollars. You want great? How about Wimbledon?
There is a second round match that started Tuesday that has yet to be completed. No, the weather is fine. An American and a Frenchman have been battling for over ten hours! The fifth set (due to Wimbledon rules no tiebreak) is tied at 59 games apiece. This is beyond great, this is epic. This is something that will be talked about beyond this weekend.

Forrest McDonald

I had only one class with Forrest McDonald in my college career but in that class I learned a lifetimes worth of lessons. The class covered the American Revolution and the New Nation, roughly 1763-1800. I do not believe there was a better teacher of this era. He would sit at the front of the classroom in a very relaxed manner, cigarette (unlit) in hand (he had quit smoking but still used the prop). He would go without notes for the entire class period. After having taught now for a few years myself, I find I am able to go without more than a minimal outline for a class period. There exists danger in this. First, getting sidetracked from the issue at hand. Students are there to learn the subject, perhaps find the relevance to today, and not some obscure point interesting to only three people with doctorates. Second, sometimes in the flow of talking, the facts get jumbled. Dr. McDonald never did this. The first danger he overcame by living, breathing and eating the subject at hand. The second danger was never a problem because Dr. McDonald had his own personal fact-checker. To call Ellen S. McDonald a fact-checker is not just. She kept him grounded, focused, and to use a political term "on message".
Theirs is a great partnership, an example of teamwork in action. Although she might deny it, it is my belief that she made him into a better writer and kept him focused on the task at hand. Without Ellen, we might not have as much of his insight to look back on in the numerous books and articles that he wrote. It is his writing that will be the subject of my next post.

Teachers I Have Known

Along the lines of my last post, I was thinking about those teachers who influenced me, the ones who taught me more than the subject at hand, who taught me to be a teacher and who are with me still.
The first is Dr. Robert Benson. He has recently retired after having taught Literature at Sewanee for thirty years. Although he was a student of the Agrarian Donald Davidson at Vanderbilt, that is not how he influenced me. The first class was English 202 in which we read The Divine Comedy. This was a class that met Tuesday Thursday Saturday at 8 in the morning(Yes we had Saturday classes back then). Now if you know anything about me anything at 8 in the morning is not my style. But I only missed the class once (the first one). It was Dr. Benson's passion for the subject that was so infectious. His knowledge of Medieval literature, history, and religion made this one of the best classes I ever had, and I still read whatever I can about Dante. I also had him for Arthurian literature in the summer of 1982 in the British Studies at Oxford program. This class met daily Monday through Friday for five weeks in one of the seminar rooms at St. John's College Oxford. We read Malory's Morte D'Artur in the original language. It was so intense that more than one of the students reported having dreams in that language. It also provided an opportunity to see that he had a wicked sense of humor. This was the summer after a movie about Arthur had come out Excalibur and students would be saying during class 'But it didn't happen that way in the movie!" This was mildly frustrating to Dr. Benson until one day I chimed in (sarcastically) "But that's not how it happened in Monty Python and the Holy Grail! He liked that one. In fact when I saw him several years later that was the first thing he said to me.
I learned from Dr. Benson to be passionate and committed about the subject and that the knowledge considered by some to be peripheral to the subject actually allows for a better comprehension of the subject.

Teaching

As one may have gathered from reading these entries, I am a teacher. I am not a professor nor an educator nor a learning process facilitator. I am a teacher. A teacher of history to be precise. Why teach? Certainly not for the financial reward. If you are a teacher simply for the money that is wrong on so many levels. I love History and have ever since I can remember. I love reading about it, talking about it, writing about it, the last of which should come as no surprise. In short, I am passionate about History in a way that I am about nothing else. I am blessed to live in a society where I can do that.
I almost wrote the last sentence as "blessed to live in a society that allows me to do that." What would be wrong with that statement? On the surface, perhaps nothing. But is a society "that allows me to do that" a free society? Cannot the same society that allows me to do that also, at its whim, prevent me from teaching? Here endeth the digression.
Teaching allows me to do what I love. The heart of teaching History is telling stories and I love doing that. Telling stories has been a major part of civilization since the days of Homer. There is also the joy in what I call "the light bulb moment" when a student pots A and B together and sees how it leads to D.
Of course teaching is not without its downside: paperwork. And now I must close as I have 45 tests to grade before morning.

The Student of 2010

So here is where I take a step towards being an old fogey. The college student of today is a literalist. Nuance in language is beyond him. If everything is not explained down to the last iota (that's letter for you youngsters) the student of today does not understand. When giving a test to a class you must explain on the test that they will respond in ink. It does not matter how many times you have told them in the previous week that it will be in ink or they will be penalized, there will be at least one student writing in pencil. One might think that for an hour test it is understood you do not leave to go to the bathroom. No, you have to explain this as well. You write on the test do five identifications. Sure enough someone does six. You have spent the whole semester in the same class, you have taken every test there. A student will contact you after the final saying he missed it because he thought it was in another room. For the uninitiated one might wonder where teachers get there laughs. I'll tell you a little secret: go to the faculty lounge and hear them swap tales of the most outlandish excuses they've heard. Our students today are very creative storytellers, but most of them want to go into business. Many could be good storytellers, writers of creative fiction, movie screenplays and so forth: the raw talent is there. On second thought, maybe business is a good place for them.

Something Different

Dallas is a religious city. In the fall we go to our churches up to four times on weekends. Friday night its high school football. Saturday is for college football. Sunday morning we go to the house of worship of our choice and pray the sermon doesn't run so long that we are late for the fourth service: the Cowboys. Dallas has been like this as long as I can remember. When Roger Staubach retired in 1980, all the local stations (except the PBS affiliate) carried it live. So it comes as no surprise that the lead story on the news tonight is the apparently imminent breakup of the Big 12 conference. Colorado is gone (were they ever in?). Nebraska is on the verge of leaving. And rumors are flying as to what UT, Tech, A&M, OU, and OSU are going to do. If they follow Colorado's lead and go to the Pac-10, I believe they will feel right at home. USC's latest shenanigans would have been right at home in the days of the Southwest Conference and the Big 8. The Jackie Sherrill era at A&M, the Mike Leach era at Tech (from which the dust has yet to settle), the Barry Switzer years at OU. All of these draw some comparison to USC's current troubles. Now we know why Pete Carroll left La-la land for the Pacific Northwest. He said in his statement today that he knew nothing of the charges against USC while he was coach. Sorry Pete, but your audition for the role of Sgt. Schultz in the remake of Hogan's Heroes is next week. If USC does have to vacate the title from their blowout of OU, what does that say about Vince Young and UT's win over virtually the same team the next year? Certainly one of the greatest games ever. The sad thing about all the commentary about USC? I heard one talking head compare in severity to that of SMU in the 80s. Isn't it time to leave SMU alone?

Another Reading Excursion

Several days ago I was at Half-Price Books (surprise). I came across a copy of Literature Lost by John M. Ellis. Its subtitle "Social Agendas and the Corruption of the Humanities" indicates that it is about topics like Deconstruction and Political Correctness. Normally these are topics I will not be commenting upon, but what made this book fascinating were the comments scribbled in by a previous owner. It is obvious that this person did not agree with the author. Unfortunately, the quality of those comments validates one of Ellis's main contentions: that the PC crowd is not interested in rational debate but instead relies on ad hominem arguments and invective. Comments like " uh no" and "oh puleez" add so much to our discourse. Sadly, it is a reflection of a greater problem in our society. We can say something is wrong or disgree without having to give a valid reason. A reason implies a thought not a feeling.

Last Thoughts on New Deal, Raw Deal.

Beyond the economic arguments, Folsom's book is noteworthy in the analysis of FDR's effect on the office of the President. He argues that FDR's character changed the office.

"Before the Great Depression, the personal integrity of the president was a key ingredient in his ability to be nominated by a major party and elected by the voters. This did not mean that presidents were paragons of virtue....But Americans nonetheless expected presidents to be men of virtue, and Washington and others said that without that the American system would fail. The massive increase of the federal government into American life in the 1930s created new incentives for presidents. As FDR discovered, he could promise one thing in an election and deliver something quite different and get away with it as long as many constituencies received their subsidies. Constituents, who previously had little or no direct
economic interest in a presidential candidate (except for occasional tariffs and infrequent subsidies), now had many reasons to look at what presidential candidates were promising to do with the increased tax revenue flowing into the federal treasury. Would different groups receive more than they paid out? That question led many voters to look more closely at money promised than at the integrity of the presidential contenders." (270)

More Reflections on New Deal, Raw Deal

Folsom's work is particularly interesting in light of our current economic situation. There are many differences between the two events, but the response that has been undertaken in the last twenty months bears a marked resemblance to what some were calling for in 1932. Has it worked? Perhaps in the short term it slowed the bleeding, but are we through it yet?
The crux of Folsom's argument though is not the attempted solution to the Great Depression by FDR and "The Brain Trust". Rather it is how FDR changed the Presidency and the longterm effects of the New Deal. Folsom offers eleven examples. These are: minimum wage, Social Security, labor unions, farm subsidies, AFDC, tariffs, Federal Reserve, FDIC, SEC, taxes, and character.

What I am Reading

I have just finished New Deal or Raw Deal by Burton Folsom, Jr. If the title does not provide a clue as to where the author stands, look at the subtiitle: "How FDR's Economic Legacy Has Damaged America." Folsom could be called a Conservative Revisionist and the historical view of the New Deal is in need of some revising. He portrays FDR in a more negative light than Arthur Schlesinger, Jr. or William Leuchtenberg but does not go to the extreme of a John Flynn or Charles Beard. Folsom is a more enjoyable author to read than Thomas DiLorenzo (another Conservative Revisionist). DiLorenzo portrays his subjects (Lincoln, Hamilton) as evil. Folsom is more evenhanded. In his writing, Folsom brings in opposing viewpoints without automatically labelling them "Far Left".

Are We There Yet?

Last week I finished reading While America Aged by Roger Lowenstein. It is about the financial crisis that looms on the horizon: Pension plans. Lowenstein's three examples are GM, the New York City subway system, and the City of San Diego. Each entity put off to future generations the payment of large pensions. When the bill came due, each was driven to extreme measures to avoid bankruptcy. Do you think these are isolated incidents? Yesterday the Wall Street Journal carried an article regarding a bill proposed by Senator Casey (D-PA) to bailout pension funds managed by unions. It is only $8 billion, says the Senator. But the article states it is actually more like $160 billion! More debt for someone to pay. But it makes sense for the senator, because those pensioners are voters. Those questioning who is going to pay for this are fewer in number and less organized. The bigger question remains Social Security. Babyboomers start hitting 65 next year, and the money is not there. And what about all of the other pension plans out there?

First Post

How many initial postings are titled "First Post"? Why will this blog be different? Who in the world is DaveB? A little bit about myself is a good start. I live in Texas (the Dallas reference) and consider myself a student of the Nashville Agrarians who wrote I'll Take My Stand in the 1930s. This doesn't mean I agree with everything they wrote but it has been a good starting point for me. I will be posting my thoughts on the news of the day, books I am reading, and general speculation.