Saturday, January 29, 2011
The sky was Carolina Blue and Franklin Street was rockin'
Maybe the Heels will find their way back into the Top 25! Carolina over NC State.
Thursday, January 20, 2011
"Ask not what your country can do for you, but what you can do for your country."
I don't think he meant dressing up like a Revolutionary War soldier or screaming nasty words at your political adversaries.
The Speaker of the House was missing at the State Dinner.
John Boehner had a "scheduling" conflict and could not be at the White House last night for a State Dinner honoring the President of China, Hu Jintao. Boehner is third in line to be President of the United States, and holds a position that has often wielded power equal to the President. (Sam Rayburn, Joe Cannon, Tom "Czar" Reed) What message is being sent? What petty point is being made by this action. Does Boehner think he is gaining political points by not being seen along side a Kenyan President not born in the USA? Does he think snubbing the President of the largest economy in the world is what a Speaker should do? John, you look very small in the light of morning.
Tuesday, January 18, 2011
Everyone seems to be in a funk...
Magnetic North has shifted, there is a full moon, and many find that their Zodiac sign has changed. Well, what should we expect? Imagine what a sweet little Aries would do when he woke up and discovered he was a bull headed Taurus.
Sarah has declared that she will NOT shut up...and no one can make her.
Sarah has declared that she will NOT shut up...and no one can make her.
Where is ACC Basketball?
Well, that's a really good question. Unlike last year I am being very cautious about the Tar Heels. I really think Roy has lost it. Tonight Clemson comes to the Dean Dome and Larry Drew (father of Larry Drew) will not be in the stands coaching and screaming so perhaps the outcome will be better than the Tech debacle. Pat, though he has adopted the Heels, cannot help himself when his Dawgs do better than the boys in blue.
I don't feel old, but I sure do remember some old things...
...My Nanny taking me shopping in downtown Richmond in the early 1950's on the bus. We would go to Thalheimer's to pick up their famous Seven Layer Chocolate Cake, then to Miller & Rhodes for the "white sale" (sheets, towels, and things). Our last stop would be lunch at the Tea Room in M & R; I would always order a turkey sandwich and a cherry drink. Our purchases were delivered to my Grandmother's house so we were unburdened as we walked out onto Broad Street to catch the bus back to Glenburnie. On one of these occasions I remember being rather annoyed as the bus pulled to a stop in front of us and asked my Grandmother why all the good seats (the ones in the back) were always gone by the time we got on. She did not respond.
...Getting to stay up late with my Mom to hear Bing Crosby on the Radio.
..."I Like IKE" campaign buttons in my parents' bedroom.
...Not having a television.
...The two girls who lived next door not being allowed to come out and play because their mother feared they would get polio.
...Making doll beds out of cigar boxes in Vacation Bible School at Monument Heights Baptist Church...every summer.
...Traveling across the country and there were no motels.
...Having measles and chicken pox.
...Going across the Pacific on a World War II battleship to Okinawa with a stop in Tokyo. My mind's eye sees only muddy streets; too close to the end of WWII.
...My first transistor radio.
...Being given a "Dance Card" upon entering my Ninth Grade Homecoming Dance.
...Wearing white gloves to church and of course parties.
...My 6th grade teacher having a "conniption fit" when someone used the word "queer".
...the day Buddy Holly, The Big Bopper, and Richie Valens died in a plane crash.
...Being obsessed with the Mickey Mouse Club and wanting to be Annette Funicello.
...Having 100 45's and being so proud...and not to forget the poster of Ricky Nelson on my bedroom wall.
...Thinking the "Iron Curtain" was a very high, gray, concrete wall that "god knows what" went on on the other side.
...Never owning a Barbie doll.
...Going to elementary school in barracks built during WWII with coal burning heaters. We got to take turns going out to get the coal.
...Getting to listen to the World Series EVERY year, in school, on the radio.
...Learning about Lapland in the 4th grade.
...Kooties.
...Getting to stay up late with my Mom to hear Bing Crosby on the Radio.
..."I Like IKE" campaign buttons in my parents' bedroom.
...Not having a television.
...The two girls who lived next door not being allowed to come out and play because their mother feared they would get polio.
...Making doll beds out of cigar boxes in Vacation Bible School at Monument Heights Baptist Church...every summer.
...Traveling across the country and there were no motels.
...Having measles and chicken pox.
...Going across the Pacific on a World War II battleship to Okinawa with a stop in Tokyo. My mind's eye sees only muddy streets; too close to the end of WWII.
...My first transistor radio.
...Being given a "Dance Card" upon entering my Ninth Grade Homecoming Dance.
...Wearing white gloves to church and of course parties.
...My 6th grade teacher having a "conniption fit" when someone used the word "queer".
...the day Buddy Holly, The Big Bopper, and Richie Valens died in a plane crash.
...Being obsessed with the Mickey Mouse Club and wanting to be Annette Funicello.
...Having 100 45's and being so proud...and not to forget the poster of Ricky Nelson on my bedroom wall.
...Thinking the "Iron Curtain" was a very high, gray, concrete wall that "god knows what" went on on the other side.
...Never owning a Barbie doll.
...Going to elementary school in barracks built during WWII with coal burning heaters. We got to take turns going out to get the coal.
...Getting to listen to the World Series EVERY year, in school, on the radio.
...Learning about Lapland in the 4th grade.
...Kooties.
Tuesday, January 11, 2011
Oh, they were survey marks!? Really?!
How stupid we all were to think that the cross hair symbols that were placed on Congressional districts "targeted" by Sarah Palin to defeat Democratic incumbents were cross hairs. They were survey marks. Of course they were.
Thought it was over after Oklahoma City...
...but of course it wasn't.
When the news hit that an unhinged person (supposedly from the Middle East) had left a large yellow truck in front of the Federal Building in Oklahoma City to explode, kill people, and destroy a symbol of the Federal Government, I was sure that the fringe right would fade back into the shadows of our society and those that had given them a voice in the media would divorce and destroy them. When two unhinged teenagers wrecked havoc in Columbine High School I was sure there would be changes...states would finally tightened up on gun laws, the NRA would loose credibility and the whole idea of guns would change. When another unhinged individual with a handgun entered a classroom at Virginia Tech and killed people I was sure that the 2nd Amendment fanatics would finally back down and people would demand gun control this time. I was sure there would be an attempt to do something to shore up the mental health system in our country. We wallowed in the sorrow of each incident, got over it, and moved on left with horrible images seared in our minds. The right wing fringe gained strength and not only found a voice but moved to the forefront. Gun advocates were able to make sure there was no discussion about gun control, and the Supreme Court ruled for the first time that the 2nd Amendment meant that individuals could own handguns. Mental health? There was change here....mental health facilities shut down, state budgets cut, no systems developed to identify troubled people and get something done. Then, Saturday morning another unhinged individual holding a Glock semi automatic with an extended clip and three others in his pocket (total of 90 rounds), walked out of a Safeway and shot 20 people, killing six. A United States Congresswoman who had been targeted by SarahPAC to be defeated in November was shot in the head and lies in a hospital fighting for her life.
This time I am trying desperately to believe that the minions who blindly follow the right wing screamers will come to their senses and turn away, that we will have a real discussion about guns, and mental health will become an issue to be dealt with other than to pad the pockets of companies that produce antidepressants.
GUNS... I started to say that I do not understand how guns became so ubiquitous in our society, but I do understand. What I do not understand is why people have allowed this to happen. Those that are so intent on making laws that comply only with the original intent of the Founders ignore original intent when it comes to the 2nd Amendment to the Constitution. Who actually believes that James Madison wanted every individual to have a right to wield a weapon that could fire 31 rounds and easily be reloaded. The Amendment was added because the British army had confiscated weapons that had been stored by colonials to arm the local militia. These guns were not in individual homes, but placed in community locations such as barns or warehouses. They were for communal protection. It is a myth that every colonial had a gun. People who lived in the back county most likely had one rifle to shoot food or protect themselves against Indians, but every person who lived in Boston DID NOT OWN A GUN and did not think they had some right to do so. Those who were opposed to the ratification of the Constitution demanded that protection against over reaching power of the newly created central government be curbed; thus the Bill of Rights was added. Many feared that this new government would simply replace the British Monarchy. The 2nd Amendment does not refer to individuals, it references militia. The Supreme Court has recently reversed previous decisions and ruled that the Amendment does in fact refer to individuals. This is not the original intent of the Founders! (Rep Mike Rogers, Republican from Michigan is appearing on MSNBC as I write this. He is contending that "the shooting is not a gun problem, it is a mental health problem, this is not a political problem it is a mental health problem". And, of course referred to the recent Court decision). Politicians and the Media cower to the NRA and its power. This must change. Some brave, powerful person has got to come forward.
Then there is the POLITICAL CLIMATE...this little blog has spewed volumes about the right wing sound machine and it seems so redundant to say it all again. However, (you knew that was coming), there are several points to repeat. ALL media, not just Fox, has legitimized the fringe element of the Republican Party. It is all about ratings. Fringe elements have become empowered and when "lock and load" rhetoric becomes "we want Minnesota armed and dangerous", or cross hairs are placed over Congressional districts where SarahPAC wants to defeat Democratic candidates, we have to take pause and rethink what has been going on. Abandoning the Fairness Doctrine allowed just about anything to be broadcast. The airways are public, not owned by anyone, but that has been lost.
The MENTAL HEALTH piece of this horrible tragedy is as important. I fear that many will make this the only issue and the status quo will rule; then we will do nothing about mental health and sometime in the future we will be ringing our hands and mourning the deaths of who knows how many innocent people.
President Obama has an opportunity to make real history when he speaks in Tucson.
When the news hit that an unhinged person (supposedly from the Middle East) had left a large yellow truck in front of the Federal Building in Oklahoma City to explode, kill people, and destroy a symbol of the Federal Government, I was sure that the fringe right would fade back into the shadows of our society and those that had given them a voice in the media would divorce and destroy them. When two unhinged teenagers wrecked havoc in Columbine High School I was sure there would be changes...states would finally tightened up on gun laws, the NRA would loose credibility and the whole idea of guns would change. When another unhinged individual with a handgun entered a classroom at Virginia Tech and killed people I was sure that the 2nd Amendment fanatics would finally back down and people would demand gun control this time. I was sure there would be an attempt to do something to shore up the mental health system in our country. We wallowed in the sorrow of each incident, got over it, and moved on left with horrible images seared in our minds. The right wing fringe gained strength and not only found a voice but moved to the forefront. Gun advocates were able to make sure there was no discussion about gun control, and the Supreme Court ruled for the first time that the 2nd Amendment meant that individuals could own handguns. Mental health? There was change here....mental health facilities shut down, state budgets cut, no systems developed to identify troubled people and get something done. Then, Saturday morning another unhinged individual holding a Glock semi automatic with an extended clip and three others in his pocket (total of 90 rounds), walked out of a Safeway and shot 20 people, killing six. A United States Congresswoman who had been targeted by SarahPAC to be defeated in November was shot in the head and lies in a hospital fighting for her life.
This time I am trying desperately to believe that the minions who blindly follow the right wing screamers will come to their senses and turn away, that we will have a real discussion about guns, and mental health will become an issue to be dealt with other than to pad the pockets of companies that produce antidepressants.
GUNS... I started to say that I do not understand how guns became so ubiquitous in our society, but I do understand. What I do not understand is why people have allowed this to happen. Those that are so intent on making laws that comply only with the original intent of the Founders ignore original intent when it comes to the 2nd Amendment to the Constitution. Who actually believes that James Madison wanted every individual to have a right to wield a weapon that could fire 31 rounds and easily be reloaded. The Amendment was added because the British army had confiscated weapons that had been stored by colonials to arm the local militia. These guns were not in individual homes, but placed in community locations such as barns or warehouses. They were for communal protection. It is a myth that every colonial had a gun. People who lived in the back county most likely had one rifle to shoot food or protect themselves against Indians, but every person who lived in Boston DID NOT OWN A GUN and did not think they had some right to do so. Those who were opposed to the ratification of the Constitution demanded that protection against over reaching power of the newly created central government be curbed; thus the Bill of Rights was added. Many feared that this new government would simply replace the British Monarchy. The 2nd Amendment does not refer to individuals, it references militia. The Supreme Court has recently reversed previous decisions and ruled that the Amendment does in fact refer to individuals. This is not the original intent of the Founders! (Rep Mike Rogers, Republican from Michigan is appearing on MSNBC as I write this. He is contending that "the shooting is not a gun problem, it is a mental health problem, this is not a political problem it is a mental health problem". And, of course referred to the recent Court decision). Politicians and the Media cower to the NRA and its power. This must change. Some brave, powerful person has got to come forward.
Then there is the POLITICAL CLIMATE...this little blog has spewed volumes about the right wing sound machine and it seems so redundant to say it all again. However, (you knew that was coming), there are several points to repeat. ALL media, not just Fox, has legitimized the fringe element of the Republican Party. It is all about ratings. Fringe elements have become empowered and when "lock and load" rhetoric becomes "we want Minnesota armed and dangerous", or cross hairs are placed over Congressional districts where SarahPAC wants to defeat Democratic candidates, we have to take pause and rethink what has been going on. Abandoning the Fairness Doctrine allowed just about anything to be broadcast. The airways are public, not owned by anyone, but that has been lost.
The MENTAL HEALTH piece of this horrible tragedy is as important. I fear that many will make this the only issue and the status quo will rule; then we will do nothing about mental health and sometime in the future we will be ringing our hands and mourning the deaths of who knows how many innocent people.
President Obama has an opportunity to make real history when he speaks in Tucson.
Saturday, January 8, 2011
Road Trip!
Because it was my sweet Brink's birthday I made a little trip to DC to take her to dinner. We ate at a very interesting restaurant, 1905. It is located upstairs at 1905 Q Street. Excellent food and French music.
Friday morning Brinkley went to work and Millie and I headed out on our jaunt. Our route is to go down Cathedral Ave. to Wisconsin and head to Georgetown. We turn off onto 37th Street, take a left on R and cross back over Wisconsin. If you have read the Camel Club books this is the area where all the action takes place and the location of the graveyard that Oliver Stone lives in. Take a left on Q and head across Rock Creek Park over the bridge with the buffalo onto Sheridan Circle. Then we head back up Massachusetts; Embassy Row. Millie was a little wild but by the time we headed up the hill she became much more calm...then as we passed the Japanese Embassy, where there were 8 VIP cars and many people apparently waiting for someone, Millie decides to deposit the byproduct of her last meal. I did not want to look at all the well dressed and very important looking men (no women at the Japanese Embassy). I proceeded to pick it up with a plastic bag and we moved on. I later found out they were waiting for the Foreign Minister of Japan who was about to be transported to the White House. Way to go Mil!
I joined Brink for lunch in the Senate cafeteria and we sat at a table next to Senator Kent Conrad from North Dakota. I love Senate Navy Bean Soup and had some...along with Senate fried chicken. I got to tour Senator Landrieu's office and meet many of the people Brink works with. Headed back to NC....miss my babies.
Friday morning Brinkley went to work and Millie and I headed out on our jaunt. Our route is to go down Cathedral Ave. to Wisconsin and head to Georgetown. We turn off onto 37th Street, take a left on R and cross back over Wisconsin. If you have read the Camel Club books this is the area where all the action takes place and the location of the graveyard that Oliver Stone lives in. Take a left on Q and head across Rock Creek Park over the bridge with the buffalo onto Sheridan Circle. Then we head back up Massachusetts; Embassy Row. Millie was a little wild but by the time we headed up the hill she became much more calm...then as we passed the Japanese Embassy, where there were 8 VIP cars and many people apparently waiting for someone, Millie decides to deposit the byproduct of her last meal. I did not want to look at all the well dressed and very important looking men (no women at the Japanese Embassy). I proceeded to pick it up with a plastic bag and we moved on. I later found out they were waiting for the Foreign Minister of Japan who was about to be transported to the White House. Way to go Mil!
I joined Brink for lunch in the Senate cafeteria and we sat at a table next to Senator Kent Conrad from North Dakota. I love Senate Navy Bean Soup and had some...along with Senate fried chicken. I got to tour Senator Landrieu's office and meet many of the people Brink works with. Headed back to NC....miss my babies.
Wednesday, January 5, 2011
THE Constitution
Today the 112th Congress convenes and the House Republicans will read aloud The Constitution. This should be very interesting since I doubt many of the readers have actually read the document and considered the accompanying history. Along with the reading of Madison's masterpiece , the Supreme Court's interpretation of the words must be considered. The court is granted the power in Article III to interpret the Constitution, thus their rulings become "the law of the land". Many of the tea party types, if they actually pay attention, will be very surprised at many of the things that they hear and don't hear. Will they understand the complicated historical and judicial context that must be considered along with the words?
When the Preamble is read what will they think when they hear "We the people in order to form a more perfect union, establish justice, insure domestic tranquillity, provide for the common defense, provide for the general welfare, and secure the blessings of liberty to ourselves and our posterity, do ordain and establish this CONSTITUTION for the United States of America."? Provide for the general welfare?
Article I, section 8 is interesting. This is where the powers of Congress are listed (the enumerated or delegated powers). Some may be surprised that the very first power granted is "to lay and collect taxes". Clause 8 gives Congress the power "to promote the progress of science and useful arts"...interesting. Clause 11 may surprise many who are not aware that ONLY Congress can declare war. Gee that hasn't technically happened since December 8, 1941. THEN Article I, section 8, clause 18 will be read..."and Congress shall have the power to make all laws which shall be necessary and proper for carrying into execution the foregoing powers, and all other powers vested by this Constitution in the government of the United States, or in any department or officer thereof." REALLY? Well, isn't that interesting. The Supreme Court ruled in McCulloch v Maryland that this clause meant that there were implied powers granted to Congress and they COULD pass laws that were not specifically stated but implied by clauses 1 through 17. Thus settling the argument over whether the Congress had the power to create a national bank. This ruling by the Court with the Tenth Amendment in place!
Nowhere in Article I does the word filibuster appear, and nowhere in the document is reference made to members of Congress having the power to block all bills that come before either House. The House and Senate can make their own rules and enforce them, and the filibuster is JUST a rule...not a constitutional mandated activity.
Article II, section 2 begins with the words "the President shall be the commander in chief..." The President, not the military commanders, head up the armed forces of the United States. General Douglas MacArthur and his many admirers were not aware of this, but President Truman set him straight and George Washington smiled from above.
Article IV, section 1 states, "Full faith and credit shall be given in each state to the public acts, records, and judicial proceedings of every other state." Could this mean that a gay couple married in Massachusetts is still married in South Carolina, or Texas, or Kentucky? Then section 2 states "The citizens of each state shall be entitled to all privileges and immunities of citizens in the several states." Oh drat, how could gays who are married in one state not be married in all states?
Article VI contains that pesky little supremacy clause which states "This Constitution, and the laws of the United States which shall be made in pursuance thereof; and all treaties made, or which shall be made, under the authority of the United States, shall be the supreme law of the land...
This document that so many wrap themselves in and refer to regarding any trivial political whim is a very complicated thing. Those who toiled through the hot, steamy Philadelphia summer of 1787 wished to create a nation that was markedly different from the monarchies of Europe and more clearly defined than the flimsy structure provided by the Articles of Confederation. They were for the most part nationalists trying to bring the states under the national government while protecting the individual, internal interests of each. Will those who stand in the Well of the House chamber read the original Document? Those who are so intent on the original intent of the founders might be surprised (or not) at the protection of slavery with the three-fifths clause, the prohibition to ending the importation of slaves before 1808, and the granting of power to the Congress to pass a fugitive slave law. The Senate was originally elected by the state legislatures. The original intent of the Founders was not to give people too much power...the people were feared (just in case you wonder why the Electoral College exists). Do we really want to go back to this mindset? Some actually do. The creation of the Constitution must be considered within the time period it was written and it must be followed through the pains of the ante-bellum period, the ravages of the Civil War, the societal upheavals of industrialization, the emergence of "modern" America, two world wars, and a devastating economic collapse in order to fully understand the meaning of Madison's masterpiece. The words must be fused with the changes of time. A single individual cannot dictate what the Constitution means...that constitutes an opinion. The Supreme Court determines what the august document means. Constitutional case law is a convoluted, complicated aspect of Constitutional history that must be understood in order to "know" the meaning of THE CONSTITUTION.
Oh, then there are the Amendments...I have to go jog, later.
When the Preamble is read what will they think when they hear "We the people in order to form a more perfect union, establish justice, insure domestic tranquillity, provide for the common defense, provide for the general welfare, and secure the blessings of liberty to ourselves and our posterity, do ordain and establish this CONSTITUTION for the United States of America."? Provide for the general welfare?
Article I, section 8 is interesting. This is where the powers of Congress are listed (the enumerated or delegated powers). Some may be surprised that the very first power granted is "to lay and collect taxes". Clause 8 gives Congress the power "to promote the progress of science and useful arts"...interesting. Clause 11 may surprise many who are not aware that ONLY Congress can declare war. Gee that hasn't technically happened since December 8, 1941. THEN Article I, section 8, clause 18 will be read..."and Congress shall have the power to make all laws which shall be necessary and proper for carrying into execution the foregoing powers, and all other powers vested by this Constitution in the government of the United States, or in any department or officer thereof." REALLY? Well, isn't that interesting. The Supreme Court ruled in McCulloch v Maryland that this clause meant that there were implied powers granted to Congress and they COULD pass laws that were not specifically stated but implied by clauses 1 through 17. Thus settling the argument over whether the Congress had the power to create a national bank. This ruling by the Court with the Tenth Amendment in place!
Nowhere in Article I does the word filibuster appear, and nowhere in the document is reference made to members of Congress having the power to block all bills that come before either House. The House and Senate can make their own rules and enforce them, and the filibuster is JUST a rule...not a constitutional mandated activity.
Article II, section 2 begins with the words "the President shall be the commander in chief..." The President, not the military commanders, head up the armed forces of the United States. General Douglas MacArthur and his many admirers were not aware of this, but President Truman set him straight and George Washington smiled from above.
Article IV, section 1 states, "Full faith and credit shall be given in each state to the public acts, records, and judicial proceedings of every other state." Could this mean that a gay couple married in Massachusetts is still married in South Carolina, or Texas, or Kentucky? Then section 2 states "The citizens of each state shall be entitled to all privileges and immunities of citizens in the several states." Oh drat, how could gays who are married in one state not be married in all states?
Article VI contains that pesky little supremacy clause which states "This Constitution, and the laws of the United States which shall be made in pursuance thereof; and all treaties made, or which shall be made, under the authority of the United States, shall be the supreme law of the land...
This document that so many wrap themselves in and refer to regarding any trivial political whim is a very complicated thing. Those who toiled through the hot, steamy Philadelphia summer of 1787 wished to create a nation that was markedly different from the monarchies of Europe and more clearly defined than the flimsy structure provided by the Articles of Confederation. They were for the most part nationalists trying to bring the states under the national government while protecting the individual, internal interests of each. Will those who stand in the Well of the House chamber read the original Document? Those who are so intent on the original intent of the founders might be surprised (or not) at the protection of slavery with the three-fifths clause, the prohibition to ending the importation of slaves before 1808, and the granting of power to the Congress to pass a fugitive slave law. The Senate was originally elected by the state legislatures. The original intent of the Founders was not to give people too much power...the people were feared (just in case you wonder why the Electoral College exists). Do we really want to go back to this mindset? Some actually do. The creation of the Constitution must be considered within the time period it was written and it must be followed through the pains of the ante-bellum period, the ravages of the Civil War, the societal upheavals of industrialization, the emergence of "modern" America, two world wars, and a devastating economic collapse in order to fully understand the meaning of Madison's masterpiece. The words must be fused with the changes of time. A single individual cannot dictate what the Constitution means...that constitutes an opinion. The Supreme Court determines what the august document means. Constitutional case law is a convoluted, complicated aspect of Constitutional history that must be understood in order to "know" the meaning of THE CONSTITUTION.
Oh, then there are the Amendments...I have to go jog, later.
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