Sour Notes

According to our calendar a New Year will begin tonite at midnite. We can only hope that another year will not pass without reconciliation ending the violence in the Middle East and in particular the conflict that has been refueled between Gaza and Israel.

Frankly, I am so disappointed at Israel's continued thinking, in political circles at least, that excessive force can accomplish a goal of fair resolution of the issues. They have been allowed to violate UN sanctions for decades. Where is the fairness in that? So Israel - I am disappointed at your leaders choice of continuing this conflict with the same tactic that has not worked in the past and won't work in the future.

Better was expected of ye.

Hopefully the public will demand leadership change as have we here in America with our election of Barack Obama. I hope he gets tough on Israel, they have been cut slack for too long.

My suggestion is that the new president eliminate a billion of aid each year in the future that the innocents pay the bill with their lives, whether Israeli or Palestinian.

Excuses that we must support every action Israel takes because they are the only truly democratic nation there - abandons reason.

So for the New Year, let's have a new policy regarding Israel.

Fairness must be the major element in friendship.



graysmoke

A Cheerful Holiday Morning to All

Here in MST it is minutes past four a. m. and at my advanced age I am thinking back to the earliest holidays in my memory, maybe around age 8 or so, post Santa Claus belief time-- the country was deep into the Great Depression (this would have been around 1935). Somehow my parents, maternal grandfather and maternal aunt all played a part in making it a magical time. Fruits and candies that we did not normally have. And I cannot recall a time through those years when they didn't come up with gifts that thrilled and excited us, too filled with anticipation to sleep well Christmas eve nite. And sneaking peeks from the second floor bedroom down through the hot air register. Since there were six of we children even a few gifts made quite a display. And the table was always laden with traditional foods, mother was a very skilled baker and cook, homemade cookies, homemade candies, always took preference over the hard rock candies that were store bought, there were many bowls of store purchased candies provided by mother's father. Jelly like orange slices, bon bons, chocolate drops......and the top of the buffet was filled with bowls of these, it is a wonder we weren't all sick from the sugar consumed but perhaps it didn't phase us because we burned it off with sledding, this was in one of the midwestern states and many years winters were severe, no global warming back then.

For some reason it was a time when I learned what sacrifices parents make for their children. Around third or fourth grade I had a feature role in whatever the school play was in the Christmas program. The streets were impassable except by walking. And the wind was fierce - bringing the chill factor down and stealing the breath right out of one's mouth. No time to be out and about, but staying sheltered. My dad knew I would feel crushed if I missed being in the program so he and I set out on foot for the school. To shield me from the wind, Dad walked in front of me and held his overcoat wide to provide more protection for me. I could not help but notice how threadbare his coat was and tried to walk as fast as I could so we would not be out in the nasty weather so long. But of course it was much slower than an adult stride and the snow pack slowed us down too plus it was quite a distance from our home. We did not turn back though, Dad sensing how important it was for me to have been chosen for the play role. The memory ends ....only a fragment, with another fragment, my beloved Aunt, Dad's only sister had made a new outfit for me with her admirable seamstress skills, I recall the color was solid green, not exactly holiday green but a more subdued tone, the outfit had a bolero type jacket and a dress that looked two piece but wasn't - strange what sticks in our minds as memory.

Now,three quarters of century later the world has changed so drastically from then. It is so diverse and complex culturally in so many ways that one must wonder if the human race can achieve peaceful existence - accepting enough of all to continue on a forward road instead of a destructive one.

That is my hope and there are positive signs if one looks for them. Why don't you decide what you can contribute in a small way in the coming year to move toward this goal of sharing this globe in peace and love.

Joyful Holidays to All


graysmoke


graysmoke

Ringing Up the COSTS

No one knows what the final bill will be for electing George W. Bush and putting someone in as president totally inadequate to the needs of the position.

It sounds as though the bottom line might reach three trillion.

$3,000,000,000,000

The clearing of this administration's mistakes from the deficit will take decades it appears.

There is hope in seeing that President Elect Obama is not choosing to put only politicians in critical positions. But we all know there is not going to be a quick fix for this, the test is going to be whether the public is willing to endure the long journey that will be necessary to again have a respectable monetary and fiscal policy, backed up by wise decision making on many policy levels.

The zeros after the THREE do not mean zero, they mean long term pain and most of it will affect the poorest. I imagine the rest have their off-shore hidden bank accounts. The parking lot for those scandalous bonuses and pension packages, not to mention the dough called salary at that level.


graysmoke

Carping about Caroline

Qualified, not qualified?

Peter King would hardly be qualified to know. He is a big PIA, imo.

Kudos to Caroline......she will be an exceptional senator.

Trauma from all the tragedies she has coped with produce wisdom and endurance for tough times which we have coming, in spades.

Think of it, father assassinated, uncle assassinated, brother killed in plane crash all too early.

She is not a party girl either, she has devoted a lot of her life to public service, although outside the political arena. Quite a different background than the personal history of our current POTUS. He was never qualifed to be anything he has tried. Oh maybe at lifting a bottle.

And a bit of intrigue -ing thoughts.......has Hillary been finessed?


graysmoke

Bernie MADE-OFF.....with the whole kitty

Now don't cry too long ---- the investors were mostly the millionaire crowd, some of them his own cronies who should have known better than placing so much money with one fund especially a hedge one. When these investors say they lost everything, I doubt it, most of them have homes that are of a value more than a lot of people have to manage living on their whole lifetimes.

What makes the monsters so greedy? ----I don't think it is sociologically produced, more like a mutation to a pathological obsession with money. It will be interesting if he has any friends willing to put up his bail.

Are cooking books required accounting courses for former SEC chairs, and the other miscreants that have recently been exposed? Seems to be the case.

So let's not let Bernie GET-OFF, throw the book at him and no white collar prison either, put him wherever the everyday thiefs are imprisoned. Pampered white collar criminals need to learn again what an honest days work is, on the rock pile preferably.



graysmoke

A FITTING FAREWELL

Everyone who opposed the Iraq war should box up all their old shoes and mail them to the White House as a farewell to "W" and conveying a message of support to the Iraqi journalist who braved torture and protested at Bush's attempt to polish up his tarnished legacy now that his term is ending.

Maybe put a lump of coal (charcoal) in each one to further emphasize our feelings. Season's Greetings sort of. A blizzard of shoes as a farewell token.

graysmoke

TORTURE?????

This to me, is about the equivalent of water boarding, and now since that is banned, perhaps colonoscopy prepping can be adopted by the CIA et al.

Just now, I am beginning drinking the second eight 8 oz cups of the prescribed solution -different from one used previously, the whole process takes about twelve hours, beginning at 8 a m with the laxative - nothing but clear liquids permitted in addition to the gallon of what is effectively bowel Drano.

These are exclusive tips.

Be prepared -- lay several layers of newpapers on the bathroom floor around the toilet area, have a number of plastic grocery bags there also. If female you can choose a protective pad of your choice to wear between bowel flushes, don't expect me to know what the other gender does, I have been widowed for sixteen years and spouse died before he ever had one. Get a large supply super plus pads - I wish I had sprung for large adult size diapers----- maybe that's what the other gender does..

Have two rolls of toilet tissue in reach and a generous box of tissues, plus body wipes. You might want to consider scheduling your appointment to coincide with the garbage pick up day in your area.

The actual procedure is nothing compared to all of the above which is for the twenty-four hours prior. And the instructions from the doctor lack the valuable information I am offering you.....for free.

Personally I am beginning to view this as cruel and unusual punishment, I had one about five years ago and this is it......not again. Tomorrow morning I will have the disposition of an angry pit bull.

Hopefully, the conscious sedation used will make me sleepy enough that afterwards I can drowse through the day. But I am not looking forward to the next four to six hours and the dashes to the bathroom which wind up being somewhat useless....Enough to spoil anyone's sweet disposition.

And just pray that you can make it to the ambulatory surgery office without needing a complete change of clothing. Maybe be prepared for that too. And stick a banana in for hunger relief.



graysmoke

Chicago's Cesspool of Corruption

Should we be surprised that another huge scandal in politics is in the spotlight again in one of our major cities? Cities seem to be the favored breeding ground for fostering behavior that speeds out of control and those involved are varied - what would Spitzer and Blagojevich have in common, is it that they feel they can "get away" with their antics? Public figures do not seem to realize they live in fishbowls ...... full of political pirhanas.

The Blago....case had to be made public apparently because the prosecutor's bugging produced info that an imminent deal was about to decide who would be the replacement senator for the seat vacated by Obama's becoming the President-Elect

. Suspects first in line are those that declared their intent to be candidates. Did Gov. Blago.....try to shake them down? Heaps of denial being served up rapidly.

Let's hope the current focus gets the case resolved before inauguration.

I favor there being an open election which will require the Illinois governor to resign and even then there seem to be some question of how soon all the power would transfer to the Lt. Governor, making setting an election date difficult.

Cities are unhealthy on so many scores, environmentally and politically.

Black clouds like this one are a bit much right when we have at least a half dozen angles in the present crises that need solving, like yesterday.


graysmoke

Photos from the Desert Southwest

Natural bird tower, caught this one perching while walking the nature trail at Mayo Scottsdale.
This ocotillo was an original planting in my residence landscape twenty-one years ago. This summer while I was up north, there was a summer monsoon with microburst and it destroyed my beloved plant. The saguaro stayed erect but lost the two largest arms but still surviving.
Roses do very well if placed where they don't have constant sun. They require quite a bit of irrigation here though. This specimen is called Opening Night. It retains its petals for an amazing length of time.
A frequent desert scene, picturesque remains sculpting the scene, and again this was taken on Mayo's Nature Trail.








graysmoke

And it's an older ME!

Time is like a toll highway, you pay your dues------ but on the inside I am still young.

Blogging keeps the brain healthy, and what's a few more wrinkles in that organ?













graysmoke

It's ME!

Thought you might like to see who authors the posts on this blog.....and here I am......photo from two years ago.




graysmoke

Health Care Cost Cutter

http://www.bmj.com/

The research report on how happiness is infectious and contagious can be read at the link.


So are sick people nursing their unhappiness?

Can't we reduce health care costs by training people how to be happy? One prescription I would try is to listen regularly to Bobby McFerrin's recording of "Don't Worry--Be Happy" - learn the lyrics and sing alone, dance to it. Ask your insurer for a reduction in your premium if you can pass a happiness test.

Are we sick because we are emotionally miserable, glum, moody, negative, or because we have too many of those types in our social network? Can we lighten them up and make them and ourselves healthier?

Actually I think we intuitively know that health and happiness have commonality. But I hesitate to believe that will reduce illnesses caused by gene mutations, viruses, bacteria, etc. - too many other vaiables here, nutrition, sanitation, physical activity - to mention some.

Still I like the idea of everyone being infectious and contagious with happiness rather than anything else.


graysmoke

AUTO CZAR(S)?

Let's not have just one.......because I have the perfect duo.

Michael Moore and Ralph Nader.

They would hold the Big Three's feet to the fire on expending whatever funds they have been able to bilk out of Congress.



graysmoke

AUTO CEO's RETURN

This time by - automobiles. But still playing the parts of billionaire beggars, they simply can't survive, they testify, without billions from Uncle Sam, who by the way has been out of dough for a long - long time already. However Sam, er Bernanke, can command that more worthless dollars be printed, so the game goes on.

My view is that the game is over. The piper is demanding to be paid. There aren't any BAILOUTS, BRIDGE LOANS, STIMULUS PACKAGES, gigantic enough to plug the holes that are leaking like sieves. Today one of the major leaks, job losses, astounded everyone with a figure of over half a million gone in the month of November.

But the farce continues........hearings are held, arguments presented on all sides.......while reality continues to unfold with few in that audience.

Missing in action are the loyalists that are fabricating what is being sold as President Bush's Legacy. Totally devoid of fact. They run true to form though, lied him into office, lying him into the leaving.

Here is a good time to mention the hype now being fed any remaining gullible voters that Palin will be a great candidate in 2012!!!! YEP....a great candidate and a disastrous president. Proving the Republican party still needs to be water boarded in order to rouse them to their predicament.

Now tell me who could create all this political scene as fiction?

Why don't the members of the Congressional committees holding these hearings just tell the petitioning phony beggars we are not going to put any more debt on the taxpayers of the future?


The coffers are empty, printing more dollars only complicates and ensures that problems will continue and they (the auto barons) had best convince those nine big banks that got to the trough first to make the loans.


graysmoke

Comments on Today's Developments

So the administration comes to the table a year late......in conceding that the U.S. economy is in a recession -- officially -- so who needs all the data gathering and payroll to confirm what the public has been able to detect a year ago just from daily living?

What I heard of Bernanke's remarks today didn't have any positive results on Wall Street......not on Main Street either I imagine.........but he is more willing than others stirring the pot to admit some of the reality.

Then there were the Obama announcements on selections for service in his administration in various departments. I have to fight going into a deep funk with the confirmation that HC is bestowed with his official naming of her as SOS -- she will focus more on embellishing the Clinton political history than being concerned about diplomacy, about which she knows next to nothing.

So disappointing.



graysmoke