State of the Union

The big night is tonight, January 24th, President Obama's last State of the Union address, at least we can hope.
However, we shouldn't have to wait until the November election for this to be his last State of the Union.  This is the way tonight's speech should go.

The Sergeant-at-Arms makes his usual pronouncement of: "Mister Speaker, the President of the United States!"   Then the President makes his way down the main aisle, shaking hands, air kissing the women, the real close buddies get the double tap on the shoulder, all the while that million dollar smile ( some would say shit eating grin) is flashing around the chamber.  The President makes his way to the platform, takes out two envelopes with his remarks inside, gives one to the Speaker and the other one to the Vice-President.  He then turns and continues to absorb the applause.


This is the point where we get the usual platitudes that the country is on sound footing but faces many challenges.  Challenges only the Democrats can meet. But what we should get is something along the lines of this:

"Good Evening.  I'm here o report on the State of the Union.  You expect the usual comforting statements, grandiose plans, and other glittering generalities.  But tonight I must report our situation is dire.  Things are royally screwed up and it's my fault.  Therefore, following the lead of my predecessor, Lyndon Baines Johnson, I'm informing the nation and those of you in this chamber tonight that I will not seek nor will I accept the nomination of my party for President of the United States. I could resign right now but that would leave you and the country's future in the hands of  Vice-President Biden and none of us want to see that.  So  I'll do my best to hold things together till next January but I will need a lot of help from across the aisle.


Michelle and the girls will stay in Washington until school is out in the spring.  Then, they'll take Air Force One back to Chicago.  Get settled in over the summer and enroll in a neighborhood school next fall.  As for me, I'll also head back to Chicago at the end of my term.  Most likely I'll return to private law practice.  I'll also spend some time constructing my Presidential Library but that won't take long as I have few achievements to highlight.  In fact, there are so few that constructing a massive edifice is uncalled for.  Instead, I will rent some space from former President Bill Clinton at his library in Arkansas.

Good Evening and God bless these United States."

At least that's the way tonight should go.

Poor Leadership

Gasoline went up twelve cents a gallon overnight in Kansas City.   We can thank the current POTUS, Obama, who is without doubt, in my estimation, the worst president in the history of the US.

Why did this increase happen?  First, Obama has done nothing about removing the Iranian threat to close the Strait of Hormuz.  Nor has he done anything to eliminate the Iranian nuclear threat.  Second, he nixed the Keystone pipeline project.  The pipeline would have provided thousands of jobs which we sorely need.  And, the pipeline would have eventually gone a long way to making us less dependent on foreign oil.

Obama can be beaten in November but the Republican presidential candidates need to start discussing the REAL issues facing America.  Instead they want to bicker over which candidate pays the most income tax.  Or, who may be cheating on their income tax.  Or, the sexual propensities of one candidate or the other.

You can't totally blame the candidates.  A big chunk of the blame for the non-issue questions is laid at the feet of the journalists covering the campaigns and debates.  If they don't ask serious questions about the real issues, we are going to continue getting answers lacking relevance.  And, if we are not careful, come November we are going to know less about the Republican Presidential candidate, than we knew about Obama '08.  In which case, Obama probably wins.

Winter in NW Missouri, so far

This is what it CAN look like in Northwest Missouri at this time of the year. But in the winter of 2011-12 we so far have been in stark contrast to the picture above which was taken in the late 1950's.  We have had no measurable snow so far.  The lowest recorded temperature has been 11 degrees and that on only one night.

Schools are happy because they have not yet declared a snow day.  On the other hand students and teachers alike miss that unexpected holiday where they can sleep in, drink hot chocolate, watch movies, or play computer games.  However, all those creature comforts have led to the lamented demise of school kids knocking on your front door and asking if you want your sidewalk shoveled,  for cash.  Kids don't come by and make the offer even if they can use their family snow blower.  All of which tells me the kids of today have allowances that are sufficient to remove whatever trace of entrepreneurial spirit they might have.

Municipal governments are content with keeping their budgets intact.  Not having to blow up the budgets to remove snow is a great savings.  On the other hand, auto body shops have seen a seasonal decline in repair work, at least so far.  Hardware stores are probably starting to wonder where space can be found to store all the unsold shovels and snow melt pellets over the summer.

But as Mark Twain is purported to have said:, "If you don't like the weather, wait a few minutes and it will change."

The Child and the Gizmo

 

  I came across a quote from Reverend Billy Graham today that I thought was quite thought provoking for this day and age.  The quote is: "While our young people are gaining knowledge, they are not always acquiring wisdom to use that knowledge."


     Reverend Graham wrote that statement in 1992 which was far before the explosion of home computers, I-pods, I-phones, and I-pads.  If youth were gaining knowledge back then, think how much they are acquiring now.  They're acquiring knowledge on an almost 24-7 basis which is much too fast to place acquired knowledge in proper context and perspective.

     It is incumbent on parents, grandparents, teachers, and mentors to help the kids slow down and assimilate all the facts and knowledge they are encountering.  It is common these days to see kids in restaurants, on airplanes, even at family events intensely glued to a hand held electronic gizmo of some kind or other.  If the relationship remains between the child and the gizmo there is absolutely no chance of that child benefiting from any context or perspective.  Those necessities are non-existent in that kind of relationship.  The gizmo is incapable of providing those necessities.

     Every child is entitled to healthy playtime, no question.  However, on occasion, said occasion being more frequent than not, an adult needs to insert himself/herself and create a three way relationship i.e. child, gizmo, adult.  The adult's role being to provide the context and perspective for the information the child is absorbing.  Only then can we hope the child will, at a future time, develop the wisdom needed for a productive life.

Various Monday Musings

The re-vamped CBS network morning news, aka CBS This Morning, debut this morning.  The set is flashy, and active but may be TOO busy.  One critic said when the set is in the background it reminded him of a morning restaurant scene.

Charley Rose looked like he had stayed up all night the last three nights and this despite the application of mega makeup.

Gayle King needs to lose the funky raspberry wig and also lose about thirty pounds.  And no more sleeveless dresses, please!

The round table does not work for three anchors and a guest.  and just what are all those cameramen in the background taking shots of?

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KC Chiefs hire Romeo Crennel as their new head coach.  It was the right thing to do....hiring an experienced head coach but the hire should have been a younger guy.

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Romney wins big tomorrow in New Hampshire.  Santorum second.  And that will be the GOP ticket...Romney for pres and Santorum for veep.

Day One

Just starting out.  Real blogging later.