Oy! man

Von Goethe said that there is nothing worse than aggressive stupidity. That might fit Tim Eyman who again seeks to earn money by pandering to the fears, ignorance and short sightedness of our public.
I-1033 is another example of trying to put money in the hands of special interests by pulling the wool over the eyes of citizens who think they might somehow benefit from his proposed tax changes.
There is a treatment for ignorance (which is widespread amongst voters) but sadly not for stupidity. Eyman is not an elected official. So what's in it for him to front rich commercial landowners? He gets paid to deceive us and pass these self-serving initiatives at the expense of the majority of us.
So if you are not a rich commercial landowner, all you will likely see from passage of this are fewer services and fewer public employees (for lack of revenue).
Educate yourselves people. Don't act stupidly unless you really have no reasonable alternative.

Winning at the Casino

I saw an ad on TV for one of the multitude of casinos around Seattle. What fun it seemed to spend your evenings gambling. How much more fun to WIN! Now of course, the casino doesn't say that the way they make so much money is that people keep coming back to win, but ultimately lose. Go often enough and certainly a percentage of what you bring will wind up in the casino bank.
But what a price for being entertained, if winning money is entertainment.
Imagine that this is your favorite entertainment and you do win money. When are you going to spend it? What good is the money you win if you don't have any other priorities on which to spend it?
Now, now..you can't use it to pay your bills. If you need it for that, then you shouldn't be gambling in the first place. That's just irresponsible.
Gambling - a waste of time. Spend your money and your time having real fun.

Big Government

People like to complain about big government.
Especially Republicans.
Yet it is difficult in this country to make a compelling case against it.
Oh yes, there is always waste in government. There are problems with communication between agencies within the government. However, without big government, can you really imagine the free enterprise system reaching an efficient equilibratory perfection? Never.
First of all small government with small arms of enforcement tacitly encourages criminal minded people to cheat and scam (even more than they do now) when government shies away from control. That would mean a degradation of civilization and its demise. Certainly government supports order.
Secondly, big government attempts to standardize, to some extent, the quality and levels of education our children receive. Without it, poorer areas of the country would be worse off than they already are in their ability to build and maintain schools and provide quality education.
Thirdly, we have already seen what avarice can do to a seemingly strong free enterprise economic system. The economy depends on some measure of financial regulation. When it falters, it requires some measure of stabilization. Again this is the role of big government.
Fourthly, big govenment links and cements smaller government. Smaller governments operate on local resources, needs, and priorities. Small local governments in varying regions or States do not have finances to maintain contant and effective liasons with each other.
Fifthly, big government is necessary to raise and maintain a well equipped national system of defense. This is not a job for free enterprise.
Sixthly, the protection and supervision of transportation, interstate commerce, health, and agriculture needs big government regulation, control and oversight to provide a safe, efficient and balanced distribution of food and services.
Finally, it is important to realize that WE are the government. We are paying taxes
to provide representation. If we don't like what we get we can change it with a vote. But we get what we pay for - nothing is free. I chose not to give up safety, security, health care, education and freedom by hoarding my money. Big government means big services (even if they are a bit wasteful and slow). Little spending means people get little in return.

Brew of the Gods

I love espresso coffee. Somehow I came across Martha Stewart's favorite. Keep in mind that Martha Stewart is not my guide to anything. I'm stilled pissed at her for her petty greed. Nevertheless I bought Antica Tostatura Trieste. Yes imported from Italy and soooo good.
This coffee is so rich tasting, yet so mild in acidity.
Somehow in the middle of the night, I got a vision of my turkish coffee pot. I could not remember the name for it. Next morning I searched and instantly recognized my ibrik. Turkish coffee should be made in the ibrik because it is specially shaped not to completely foam over and to hold the flavor inside. It is made of copper. I use it every so often, because you have to get super fine ground (powdered) rich coffee to make it correctly. When you are done, you have a few ounces of blow your mind coffee on top of MUD! Drink carefully, the grounds are not delicious.
And so in my search for the name I can across the Turkish coffee grinder a kahve degirmeni. After searching, I bought a popular Turkish brand of mill for $20.00
It is important to have fresh powdered grind and this is what these mills make.
I await its arrival and my new coffee treats. The brew of the Gods

Drink Up America

I love to drink good liquor and wine. I would love to get some follower who would like to discuss their favorites in their searches for best.
Skip wine for now - too many labels, but I do enjoy good merlot and cabernet sauvignon. So there wine snobs.
Liquor loves include Tequila and Bourbon. See how I've capitalized them. They deserve it.
Anejos are pretty much my first choices, but there are good reposados and blancos - Favorites - Don Julio Clase Azul, Herradura. Wish I could afford some the reserves - I've tasted them and been spoiled.
In any case. I'd like to hear from you.

I HATE CRIME

Of all crimes, I think I react most viscerally to acts of vandalism. Yesterday in Seattle some very sad misguided people decided to paint swastikas on two local synagogues. I am guessing these sad misguided people intended to send a message of hate, but they are primarily vandals.
What irks me most is that vandalism is a crime with a victim, but no good reward for the perpetrator. Acts of vandalism are signs of troubled wayward minds somehow ineptly striking out at institutions which they feel have hurt them.However, this revenge is not sweet.
Unless reported on the news, the vandals get no real recognition for their errant behaviors. Hell, they don't even go back to the scene and gloat "wow, what I great job I did breaking all this stuff.Hey, look at that glass strewn all over the floor"
In the case of the swastikas, many vandals don't even know the difference between the Native American symbol and the German Swastika which is a mirror image. Of course that doesn't matter to the criminal; his or her expression of hate is clear to us.
The act of vandalizing a structure more or less sacred, is also an act of cowardice. How can we reply to the vandal and discuss all the reasons for his animosity towards us? How can we communicate with him allay his fear of Jews and our secret plot to master the world? How can we bring him into the fold and give him solace and comfort.? We can't because this criminal is a cowardly yellow-bellied anonymous blot on humanity

Running Away

As any of us go about our daily business, it is certain that we give our universe little or no thought. It just doesn't seem to affect our lives. It seems too much to comprehend.
Because our lifespan is short compared to anything geologic or astronomical, forget universal, it probably does matter little that our universe is expanding. Of the hundreds of billions of galaxies we are aware (as scientists ) the ones further away from some hypothetical universal center, are flying off away from everything faster that the ones closer in.
So, if we had a few hundred thousand years at the speed of light, we might make across our own galaxy and do a little scientific exploration. But, we had better get a move on if we want to explore any more of the universe in person, because it is all running away from us at tremendous speed.

Shopping

I really hate shopping. That's why I love shopping on the internet.
Recently I'd had enough of my glasses falling off my face when I worked in the garden in the heat. Sweat lubricates my face and my glasses fall into the dirt. I need one of those nerdy elastic retaining bands (macho for sportsmen) .
I took my grandson to the mall today to have fun just walking around and seeing if I could pick up a band. One optical store had some ($10) but only in girly colors. No I'm not a nerd or a sportsman nor am I girly. Metrosexual perhaps, but not girly. The others optical stores referred me to sports stores. A separate trip. We'd had enough.
Online I found a simple black strap for $5 including shipping. I bought 2. Done. I highly recommend checking the internet and not wasting time and gasoline driving.

L'Chaim

I have health insurance through a public employees program. Health insurance needs reform. I am one of the fortunate.
No one should become gravely ill or lose their quality of life or die because they cannot pay the medical costs.
Life is about looking ahead to joy and being joyful. No one should lose life's values because they can not afford insurance.
We need to pay for the things we value and we need. Nothing is free. Good health is a necessity not a luxury.
The Republicans have become the party of "Wait, I have it, you don't, so screw you." Politicians should take the moral high road, not the economic low road.
Bah Repubicans.

Master of Something

Today while playing golf my buddy said his goal was to be perfect at just one thing. While neither of us have a chance in hell of shooting under 80 in regulation golf, he felt he could par a small nine hole course if he kept at it. Maybe so. But could he repeat it the next day? I doubt it.
My idea of playing golf is to be perfect at having fun. Haven't done that yet either. Ego pops up just when my accuracy declines. Golf is a sport and sport it is. If a non professional golfer can't have fun on the course, why play at all?
If I am trying to master something at my advancing age, it is mastering the moment to embrace the joy in whatever I'm doing or not doing. I feel joy just lying in bed knowing I don't have to roll out at the crack of dawn to work. I am mastering more moments.
When I don't get angry at myself for a bad shot, I'll have mastered golf.

Dear Umberto

I am slogging happily through Eco's Essay on Language and Cognition. Even my dictionary doesn't make reading much easier since so much is in Latin. He's a bloody genius and so interesting - too bad I can't understand everything. The first several chapters deal with being. Can being be defined by language. Can it be thought of in negative terms? What are the limits of being? How does the essence of something change when defined in another language? Is language discreet or continuous? Well, it certainly is food for thought though I leave each page hungry for more.

Ashen grey

What if you woke up to a world long since destroyed, the sun not visible through the soot in the air, the ground not visible through the ashes of a worldwide conflagration, the water fouled. What would keep you going from day to day having to scavange canned food to barely keep from starvation? That is "the road". Pulitzer prize. Fast read, but keep time to think! Keep a dictionary by your side