I freely confess that to me there seems nothing in this world more beatiful than the human female. I love every thing about them from the tip of the toenail to the split ends of their lovely tresses.
I also freely confess that I am addicted to television. When there is nothing in particular that I wish to see, I click endlessly through the channels in the hope that something of interestr will pop up.
I gave the remote a moments rest when I came across a program called ( I think ) The Girls Next Door. Five or six esthetically pleasing young lovlies, lightly clad, were cavorting about in a most amusing way. My type of program ( or so I thought ). Suddenly on the screen appeared
a smirking, leering gargoyl, his repulsive visage contorted in his version of a smile. Hugh
Hefner ! The girls flocked to him. Three of them were his concubines. This disgusting, viagra ridden satyr apparently is able to buy the affection of all the females he wants. It speaks poorly of some women who seem willing to do anything for luxury and money. I wonder what the parents of these girls think.
Wednesday, August 29, 2007
Wednesday, August 22, 2007
Trip to Portland
I feel sure that my numerous family, friends, and other admirers have missed me the last week or so. Jan and I went to Oregon to visit her family and Anne (Deceased brother Dean's widow ) . We had a fine time seeing mostly relatives but here the problem begins.
Anne, my sister in law has 12 children, most of them married and producing
children of their own in great numbers. Now these children are mostly middle aged, married, and all producing more children. Some of these kids are also married and seem tp be producing a 4th generation. These are alot of people and my memory is getting a bit fuzzy. To further complicate matters, Anne comes from a family of 9 children who are producing children who are producing children.
Jan comes from a family of 9 who have produced children who have produced
children ,etc, etc.
There are lots of people invilved here. Deceased brother Toti (Teo as his now Argentine family called him) also had five kids and they are also prolific as are their children, etc, etc.
How sad it is that we are on the verge of losing track of these relatives. Many of them don't even know that Jan and I exist, any more than we know them. My kids probably have 50+ first cousins and they only know a few of them.
I have tried to partially correct this situation by creating a family tree on the computer. It goes back , as far as I am able to ascertain, five generations and then it gets too fuzzy. Now it is fuzzy two and three generations forward. For simplicity's sake I have chopped off whole branches of periferal family members who seem too remote. I also have some written family histories of long dead people. Pretty fascinating reading in some cases.
Maybe one of my kids will like to get my stuff some day when the unthinkable
happens to me. Its all here at that time for whoever volunteers to carry on.
Anne, my sister in law has 12 children, most of them married and producing
children of their own in great numbers. Now these children are mostly middle aged, married, and all producing more children. Some of these kids are also married and seem tp be producing a 4th generation. These are alot of people and my memory is getting a bit fuzzy. To further complicate matters, Anne comes from a family of 9 children who are producing children who are producing children.
Jan comes from a family of 9 who have produced children who have produced
children ,etc, etc.
There are lots of people invilved here. Deceased brother Toti (Teo as his now Argentine family called him) also had five kids and they are also prolific as are their children, etc, etc.
How sad it is that we are on the verge of losing track of these relatives. Many of them don't even know that Jan and I exist, any more than we know them. My kids probably have 50+ first cousins and they only know a few of them.
I have tried to partially correct this situation by creating a family tree on the computer. It goes back , as far as I am able to ascertain, five generations and then it gets too fuzzy. Now it is fuzzy two and three generations forward. For simplicity's sake I have chopped off whole branches of periferal family members who seem too remote. I also have some written family histories of long dead people. Pretty fascinating reading in some cases.
Maybe one of my kids will like to get my stuff some day when the unthinkable
happens to me. Its all here at that time for whoever volunteers to carry on.
Wednesday, August 15, 2007
CIVICS 101 (conclusion )
You may think you are voting for president when you pull that lever. As many of you know, you are really voting for your state electors.
The Electoral College is a hybrid sort , combining 2 votes per state plus the number of representatives that state has.
For example : Wyoming casts 3 electoral votes ( 2 senators + 1 representative ). A population of about 170,000 elects one elector.
California casts 55 electoral votes ( 2 senators + 53 representatives ), about 650,000 population per elector.
As you can easily see, a Wyoming vote is worth about 4 California votes.
Just to muddy up the waters, in each state it is winner take all. For example, in California which we expect to go Democratic, all 55 electoral votes will go to the Democrats, even though the Republicans may have garnered 48% of the vote.
This peculiar system will likely be with us forever. The smaller states control the Senate and are not likely to permit a change.
Here is the strangest part. If you are a Republican in a predominently Democratic state,
it really doesn't matter whether you vote Republican for president or withhold your vote or even vote Democtatic ! The winner take all system has disenfranchised the minority party.
DEMOCRACY IN ACTION. Go Figure ! ( End of Civics 101 )
The Electoral College is a hybrid sort , combining 2 votes per state plus the number of representatives that state has.
For example : Wyoming casts 3 electoral votes ( 2 senators + 1 representative ). A population of about 170,000 elects one elector.
California casts 55 electoral votes ( 2 senators + 53 representatives ), about 650,000 population per elector.
As you can easily see, a Wyoming vote is worth about 4 California votes.
Just to muddy up the waters, in each state it is winner take all. For example, in California which we expect to go Democratic, all 55 electoral votes will go to the Democrats, even though the Republicans may have garnered 48% of the vote.
This peculiar system will likely be with us forever. The smaller states control the Senate and are not likely to permit a change.
Here is the strangest part. If you are a Republican in a predominently Democratic state,
it really doesn't matter whether you vote Republican for president or withhold your vote or even vote Democtatic ! The winner take all system has disenfranchised the minority party.
DEMOCRACY IN ACTION. Go Figure ! ( End of Civics 101 )
CIVICS 101 (continued)
The Senate, as you know, is composed of two senators from each state. This enhances the power of the smaller states to influence legislation and protect their rights.
For example, Wyoming, the smallest in population, sends its two senators each needing
254,000 population per senator. In California, a population of 18,000,000 per senator is required.
Ergo- The Wyoming voter has a voting power about 70 times that of a Californian for the Senate.
Hurrah ! Score one for states rights
For example, Wyoming, the smallest in population, sends its two senators each needing
254,000 population per senator. In California, a population of 18,000,000 per senator is required.
Ergo- The Wyoming voter has a voting power about 70 times that of a Californian for the Senate.
Hurrah ! Score one for states rights
Tuesday, August 14, 2007
US DEMOCRACY Civics 101
With apologies to my learned readers, allow me to present some facts and statisitics of which you may not be aware.
There are three basis votes which we can cast for offices in the Federal Govt.
1) House of representatives .(435 members, a fixed number which may never be altered)
2)Senate ( 100 members, 2 per state )
3)Presidant ( Not as many suppose a direct vote but a vote to select electors)
1) The House is about as close as we can get to a democratic selection. About 600,000 per population per representative. There are 8 smaller states which ekect only one representative and 5 states which select only 2 reps. California elects 53 reps. The top 10 states elect as many
as the smaller 40.
It gets stranger.
To be continued
There are three basis votes which we can cast for offices in the Federal Govt.
1) House of representatives .(435 members, a fixed number which may never be altered)
2)Senate ( 100 members, 2 per state )
3)Presidant ( Not as many suppose a direct vote but a vote to select electors)
1) The House is about as close as we can get to a democratic selection. About 600,000 per population per representative. There are 8 smaller states which ekect only one representative and 5 states which select only 2 reps. California elects 53 reps. The top 10 states elect as many
as the smaller 40.
It gets stranger.
To be continued
Sunday, August 12, 2007
Not much to say
I just wrote a long blog and pushed a button and it disappeared forever.
It's a good thing. Never has a blog been more devoid of interest. It was about a trivia game which Jan and I go to on MOnday night. It takes place in a tough sort of bar called THE BURLAP BARREL filled with hard drinking , hard smoking people
(red necks). But I am not going to repeat the lousy blog. Jan particularly likes to go because we get a free meal. She is a fine cook but lately seems to be happy to go out
and eat.
When one runs out of subjects, one talks about the weather. Is it at all possible that Al Gore is on to something. Global warming ! I don't think so but it has been beastly hot around here the last week. Don't believe the weather reports. They keep telling us that Houston hit 99 degrees. I go to our friend ,Arthur Mometer, who informs us that it is more like 102 and has been for the last few days.
It's a good thing. Never has a blog been more devoid of interest. It was about a trivia game which Jan and I go to on MOnday night. It takes place in a tough sort of bar called THE BURLAP BARREL filled with hard drinking , hard smoking people
(red necks). But I am not going to repeat the lousy blog. Jan particularly likes to go because we get a free meal. She is a fine cook but lately seems to be happy to go out
and eat.
When one runs out of subjects, one talks about the weather. Is it at all possible that Al Gore is on to something. Global warming ! I don't think so but it has been beastly hot around here the last week. Don't believe the weather reports. They keep telling us that Houston hit 99 degrees. I go to our friend ,Arthur Mometer, who informs us that it is more like 102 and has been for the last few days.
Sunday, August 5, 2007
Minneapolis disaster
No ! No! No! Not that bridge disaster. We've heard about that one enough already.
This is another story, not quite as dramatic as the bridge thing but very disturbing.
Actually, it hasn't happened yet. Let me explain.
About 10 or 12 years ago, 3 or 4 intrepid nuns moved to Minneapolis and plunked themselves down in what they jokingly refer as the Hood. This is a crime ridden area of
largely minority residents. Murder, rape , dope addiction, and thievery are rampant.
Their intention was to create a presence in the area in hopes of influencing the imhabitants.
They have never been mistreated by the people there and seem to have helped some. The children have a place to come and play and learn and many of the parents have come to like them.
The Visitation Monastary of Minnesota has now grown to 8 brave and holy members and here is the point of the story. One of the sisters, Joanna came from Britain on some sort of religious visa. She is a useful, dearly loved member of the monastary community but she broke the law. She overstayed her temporary visa. The Dept. of Immigration is hot on her trail and seems determined to deport her. As of this writing, it seems that there is little that can be done
to keep her in the country. An immigration lawyer, working on the case , does no see a way to save her from this fate. They are thinking of unleashing some sort of press campaign. They may have to enlist the help of their congressperson ( That is the Moslem rep that was recently elected to congress ). Barring some sort of intervention, she will shortly be sent out of the country. Potentially a tiny little disaster in Minneapolis.
This is another story, not quite as dramatic as the bridge thing but very disturbing.
Actually, it hasn't happened yet. Let me explain.
About 10 or 12 years ago, 3 or 4 intrepid nuns moved to Minneapolis and plunked themselves down in what they jokingly refer as the Hood. This is a crime ridden area of
largely minority residents. Murder, rape , dope addiction, and thievery are rampant.
Their intention was to create a presence in the area in hopes of influencing the imhabitants.
They have never been mistreated by the people there and seem to have helped some. The children have a place to come and play and learn and many of the parents have come to like them.
The Visitation Monastary of Minnesota has now grown to 8 brave and holy members and here is the point of the story. One of the sisters, Joanna came from Britain on some sort of religious visa. She is a useful, dearly loved member of the monastary community but she broke the law. She overstayed her temporary visa. The Dept. of Immigration is hot on her trail and seems determined to deport her. As of this writing, it seems that there is little that can be done
to keep her in the country. An immigration lawyer, working on the case , does no see a way to save her from this fate. They are thinking of unleashing some sort of press campaign. They may have to enlist the help of their congressperson ( That is the Moslem rep that was recently elected to congress ). Barring some sort of intervention, she will shortly be sent out of the country. Potentially a tiny little disaster in Minneapolis.
Friday, August 3, 2007
Pesimist or optimist
I used to be an optimist and wish I still was. However, when I look at the condition of my dearly beloved country I sometimes think things are going to the dogs. Here is a short list of the things that seem to keep me awake at night:
1) The ever worsening international balance of trade.
2) The huge and ever increasing national debt.
3) The troubled health care system.
4) Lousy educational system.
5) Social security system going broke.
6) Raods and bridges and national power grid deteriorating.
7) Air traffic control system obsolete and inadequate for our ever increasing air travel.
8) Inflation out of control.
a) 50 years ago prices were about 10% of current prices.
b) Inflation seems to be government policy. They are raising taxes without raising taxes.
They are paying down the national debt withou paying it down.
9) Our investments are shrinking as the value of the dollar is debased.
10) Congress inaction on the imigration and energy problems.
Are you an optimist ? Let me know why.
1) The ever worsening international balance of trade.
2) The huge and ever increasing national debt.
3) The troubled health care system.
4) Lousy educational system.
5) Social security system going broke.
6) Raods and bridges and national power grid deteriorating.
7) Air traffic control system obsolete and inadequate for our ever increasing air travel.
8) Inflation out of control.
a) 50 years ago prices were about 10% of current prices.
b) Inflation seems to be government policy. They are raising taxes without raising taxes.
They are paying down the national debt withou paying it down.
9) Our investments are shrinking as the value of the dollar is debased.
10) Congress inaction on the imigration and energy problems.
Are you an optimist ? Let me know why.
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