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Monthly Archives: September 2012

Why Washington Doesn’t Work


What’s in it for me? This could very well be the constant question  from Congress. Each Congress member has a staff of assistants and ancillary people to read and keep them up on the business of the Congress (bills on the floor, etc)  which brings me to believe that  much of the pending legislation is not read directly by the people who have to vote on them. It is possible that votes are sometimes uninformed or inadequately researched. This is aside from the normal quid pro quo dealmaking. There are so many lobbyists jockeying for  the ear of a committee member that some are literally “camped out” the doorsteps of the Congress. Keep in mind that some of these Lobbyists are former members of the Congress or work for former members and their associates. With this type of network it is small wonder why Washington Does Not Work!!

Ann Coulter


I am not usually concerned with pundits and columnists who express one-sided views as this is their right and their publications allow it. I have recently heard from Ann Coulter so much garbage as to belie her intelligence and education. Ann Coulter has written a book and has appeared on several well viewed TV programs touting this book,. Each program has grown into a near shouting match while pointing out the misinformation in her book. My assessment is that she (Ms. Coulter) could stand to learn more about her subject instead of making scattershots which apply to nothing and could do harm. I consign her to the Likes of Joe McCarthy, Newt Gingrich and others who tend to denigrate Americans of all backgrounds especially if they are slightly darker in skin tone or think in a different way.

Violent Religions?


An opinion in the local paper states that Islam is a violent religion. The writer opines that even if there are a few peaceful individuals within  the religion , it is still a violent religion. Going back millenia and less there were the crusades which was orchestrated by a Catholic Pope along with protestants and some nondenominational groups against the muslims (not all of them Islamists). War is violent and if a religion is involved, then it is violence. A religion cannot be violent as it is a belief, not an entity. The violence is issued from the individuals and their religious guides. There was a Catholic priest (Father Charles Coughlin) who was very antisemitic yet the entire Catholic Church was not. The idea that a religion in its self is violent is at best based on ignorance. Every religion has a basis in the same beliefs  no matter what the “Supreme” being is labeled.  To state that a religion is violent is the same as saying guns kill people. I would suggest that the writer read up on religions to understand that all of them have essentially the same basis and are divided only by  different methods of worship. The bottom line is no religion is violent only some of the followers who would have been violent if there were no religions.

Rewards Cards or Carrot and Stick?


Where are the rewards in using rewards cards with the points  worth .10 per dollar spent? , to buy  or redeem for anything significant requires a lot of money to be spent. Often to redeem the points you have to spend the points within a specific amount of time. To receive bonus points purchaser  must spend a specified amount of money and sometimes have to use the points at once with certain limitations. These cards are designed to maintain customer traffic while offering  the incentive of points for certain purchases along with “bundled” purchases. These bundled purchases are usually items that complement one another. These rewards come with limitations that unless the customer reads the fine print can be off-putting. So if a person has 8000 points , they have only 8.00 to spend, this means that any thing that is big-ticket would require a huge amount of points for redemption. Some of you may remember trading stamps, same premise but no books to maintain. There are chances for  additional points available through special promotions for partner companies but no guarantees on winning the extra points even with a purchase. Many national companies have their own rewards cards which gives them the control over  the use of the cards , often the rewards are limited to their company stores and in some cases specific items or areas of the store. This is much like coupon clipping  which requires some time to research and  pursue. I wonder if the rewards are worth the effort but looking at this from the point of view of the issuing company, the fewer redemptions they get the better as they have gained in the purchases made. One could say ” the companies” have made a big investment in advertising and rollout of the program but there are tax advantages whether they make a profit or not. Carrot and stick?

Damnation of A Generation


In the past 5 plus years the Springfield Urban League, as administrator of the Head Start program, has systematically created an air of Emotional and Moral Devastation. This Urban League branch has had several CEOs who have done a less than stellar job of administering and providing the needs of the community it serves, yet the current head had fallen to a new low. The management has allowed the use of buildings that are rife with lead and mold hazards. The class schedules have been disrupted creating extreme hardship on the working poor who depend on Head Start to look after their children while they work at some of the lowest paying jobs. These jobs augment the meager assistance they receive from other agencies. Consider the emotional and financial hardships placed on the families when they have to find another source for the daily meals and training their children were receiving from Head Start. Many of these parents were Head Start recipients and understand the value of that program; they now face a slippery slope from which they and their children may not be able to recover. It appears that the administrators have no concern beyond their own needs but still accept funding for programs designed to aid their area of service and the neighborhood they reside in. This gross disregard for the welfare of their client base is as vicious as the 1908 riots and its subsequent ruination of a neighborhood. The last few years have seen the election of a Union to protect the workers and have resulted in more oppression, more firings and less service to the community. The annual Gala put on by the League will go on this fall as if nothing is wrong while the lack of service continues to spiral down. This is like the proverbial concept of “Nero Fiddling while Rome Burns.” It is time that the larger Urban League and Head Start authorities took a closer look at a program that has sunk to an unprecedented low in service and reliability

Fact Checking The Candidates


Fact checking has become a part of political campaign coverage. This has given rise to organizations that do this as a business or avocation. The current candidates and their staffs should avail themselves of these organizations to insure that what they say is correct. Why should they do this when it is apparently more appealing to the voting public to hear salacious,  sometimes spectacular lies and misinformation. We voters have always listened intently to hear the worst about a candidate but not so much when the truth is uttered. When we hang on the misinformation, we also hang ourselves. Fact checkers give us a way to the truth and thereby in a better position to vote intelligently.

The Uninformed


The Dupublican candidate for President has added to his already dubious ability to lead,  the factor of being uninformed. His recent blurb concerning the President’s meeting or not meeting the current Israeli leader upon his arrival in the U.S.  serves no purpose other than political theater. The Prime ministers purpose is to speak at the UN, his speech no doubt is regarding Iran and its nuclear aspirations. If the candidate thought a little more before he spoke, he would realize that the U.N. is where the prime minister needs to  go to first. The President has limited ability to assist without the U.N. and Congress on his side. The public information on what the President has done with and for Israel is available. The Candidate is particularly targeting the Jewish vote and if he won would not be able do any more than is being done right now. Given the current uprisings against all other embassies would it not be wiser for this candidate to take a more prudent approach to his campaign speeches?

edna’s pie


This recipe is as close as I can remember (and figure out) how my Mom made Apple pie. After a few trials, this may be as close as I can get. I have tweaked it a bit with the Vodka, and adding spices to the crust mixture and on the crust before filling. The additional butter on top is from my memory of  my Mom’s way but the butter on the crust before filling is mine and it adds a good flavor to the overall result

Edna’s Apple Pie

6 to 8 Medium Granny Smith Apples

½ tsp ground Cinnamon

1/8 tsp Nutmeg

1/8 tsp allspice

½ to ¾  cup sugar

3 tbsp flour

Core and peel apples

Slice apples as thin as possible

Combine flour , sugar spices , add apples, mix until apples are coated.

Set aside.

Pie crust

2 cups all purpose flour

1 tsp salt

½ cup Crisco

¼ cup butter

4 tablespoons cold water

4 tablespoons vodka (this is correct)

1/8 tsp cinnamon

1/8 tsp sugar

Blend dry ingredients

Cut in butter and Crisco until pieces are pea sized, then add water and vodka mixture until dough holds together. Divide dough in to 2 halves with one half larger than the other.. Flatten the dough into ½ inch thick round discs. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes or longer (overnight works the best). On floured surface roll out larger  dough disc until the size is 2 inches wider than a 9 inch pie plate. Ease dough into pie plate  evenly. Sprinkle a light covering of  cinnamon and sugar onto dough, place squares of butter around the pastry shell approximately 6 pieces. Add filling. Roll out remaining dough until slightly larger than the pie shell. Before placing top crust on dot the apples with butter about 6 to 8 pieces. Place top pastry crust on and crimp edges. Prick top in several places  with a fork. Place on cookie sheet and Bake at 375 degrees for approximately 55 minutes or until crust is brown and contents are bubbling. Depending on your oven the time may differ.

Planned Uprising?


The recent uprisings in the middle East over a film distributed by an American(?)  has effectively played into the hands of  the extremists of those areas. The film which shows the prophet Mohamed in a bad way. This film released in Arabic at a time of mourning and observance for 911 and when  dissidents of several countries are waging war against their governments. The initial thought is the film was aired to create just such a response but what if it was released for political purposes here and abroad?  Could it be local or middle eastern in origin? The result of the films release has supplied  the radical dissidents with the fuel they need to  riot and destroy any diplomatic progress made to date. Their sole  purpose is only  to have extreme Islam in place , ignoring the rights and needs of the population. It appears that this film has assisted these extremists in the pursuit of their way or the highway attitude. Each country that has had an upheaval and removal of a dictatorial leader has condemned the actions in Libya and other areas. These reactionaries mirror the sects we have in America who often disguised as ethno religious in nature are not much different from the thugs who have attacked the U.S. and other foreign embassies. As the background on this film develops the person behind it is still hidden behind aliases and other covers much like any other subversive.  The rumors as to the identity of this person is still being investigated and we may find that this is yet another member or leader of a radical element.

MF


MF,  2 letters that often in conjunction with others or alone can be descriptive of something, someone or a situation or occurrence. For example in the movies IMF refers to the”Impossible Missions Force”, this is the fictional agency that performs missions under the covert auspices of a government (U.S?). These missions are usually to right a wrong or wrongs that would affect the first & third world countries.  A more well known use of those letters are usually descriptive in derogatory way using  a parental reference. Another use is the same letters to emphasize a dislike for a situation or a person. This use can and has led to violence. The same usage has been used in the course of a violent action such as a fight or argument. When used (properly?) these letters can convey a deep feeling  for or against a subject, item or person.  So if someone refers to our Congress as those “MF’s” it is not a compliment.