Of Guns and Crazies

It is a tragedy.  Please do not misunderstand me--the shootings in Tuscon are the work of a crazed person who needs to have his DNA removed from the planet.

But then I read the following from and article titled: Congressman Pete King to Introduce Gun Safety Bill After Arizona Shooting

Rep. Peter King said Tuesday he plans to introduce a new gun safety bill in Congress in the wake of the mass shooting in Arizona that killed six people and wounded 14 others, including Rep. Gabrielle Giffords, D-Ariz.

King said his bill would make it illegal to knowingly carry a gun within a thousand feet of "certain high-profile" government officials.

And, I think--really? Just what we need, another unenforceable law on the books which will only be used to pile on top of other offenses when someone does something stupid and criminal. And--how does someone "unknowingly" carry a gun?  Even better--who can determine if someone "knew or not" that they were packing a gun?  Really?

And if they were able to charge Jared Loughner, the shooter in Tuscon, under this law--who would benefit?

Would the injured be less so or would the dead be alive again?

No!

The problem is not going to be fixed by another almost meaningless and unenforceable law passed by representatives out of touch with what is happening in society.

We have enough laws which are essentially unenforceable and it breeds contempt for the entire legal system of the United States. We need smart and enforceable laws--not laws enacted for special interests designed to make it appear someone is doing something to address a problem. What is really happening is that the deeper social and mental health issues become lost in hot button issues and laws.

For example--look at speed limits. Who of us would not be totally enraged to receive a ticket for speeding 1 mph over the posted limit?  We all believe, in fact the deployment of speed cameras in Maryland has confirmed, that we can be exceeding the speed limit by 11 mph before running a risk of a ticket.  Why not raise all of the posted speed limits by 15 mph and enforce them as stated?

We must impress upon our representatives that laws need to be sane, meaningful, and enforceable. If only criminals are going to be charged after the event has occurred--then what is the deterrent value of the law? What does it add to the betterment of society? 

Say a prayer for the victims of this tragedy.

Too Cold to Think

January 11, 2011 Storm results

The prospect of another Nor'easter making it way through the region has everyone on edge. It seems at the hint of snow everyone in the Mid-Atlantic region begins to panic and there continues to be a mad rush on the grocery store. Come on people--we survived dueling blizzards last February. The Snowpocalypse should remind everyone that 1-4 inches is a mere nuisance. So get over it.

Although they are calling for the Chesapeake to freeze over if the cold weather continues. The last time that happened was 1977.

The temperature has been cold--just too cold lately.  It had to warm up to snow.

I know when I go outside I just prepare myself for a wintry blast. Not snow--just really cold. I am amused when Makayla goes outside how she fluffs her fur to keep the cold away. She becomes a real fur ball and is very pretty all fluffed up.  She doesn't seem to mind the cold too much.

One bright spot was the removal of Patrick's1996 Honda from the driveway on Monday. Now I have an open spot. I'm thinking of buying another Jaguar--just because.  Not really. It is weird to think that I have an open spot in the driveway after having it filled by a non-functioning car for the past year. Maybe I'll rent it out to someone who has a boat that needs a parking spot.

But it is too cold to think about that now.

Stay warm and go easy on the shoveling.

Tell Me Again about Saturday

What a day it was.  It started early and ended late.  I worked harder Saturday than I did all week.

I look forward to weekends--I can get stuff done, and chill a bit too.  Of course an NFL Football Playoff Weekend also means that there should be some quality time with the TV urging on my favorite team.

0645 - Up for the day to catch up on the news and usual stuff--walk dog twice, get paper, read computer news and complain about the battery life on my iPhone
0740 - Out the door to a Men's breakfast at Bob Evan's
0800-0915 - Men's breakfast @ Bob Evan's --funny enough, our server was named Evan. Weird.
0930 - At the house to get tools
0950 - At Patricks to begin TV electrical project
1120 - Depart Patrick's to go home to change for Lucas' Birthday party
1200-1400 - Lucas Birthday party
1430 - Back to Patrick's to complete project
1630 - Home--assist with putting away last Christmas decorations
1800 - Complete the removal of Christmas decorations and put them away
1815 - People arrive to buy Patrick's old 1996 Honda (departed the driveway yesterday)
1930 - Run to Patrick's to help sell stereo equipment to the people who bought the car
2015 - Back home totally exhausted try watching Jets at Colts but can't keep eyes open
2020 - Eat dinner with Chris--pot roast that she started during the morning and slow cooked all day
2115 - Asleep in my chair
2130 - Awakened from my sleep and told to go to bed
2200 - Crawl into bed--fall asleep
2230 - Phone rings and the caller tells me that Colts are going to lose--64 seconds left in game. I decide not to turn on the TV
2232 - Snoring begins uninterrupted.


I hope your Saturday was nearly as much fun as mine. I never was able to carve out time for an afternoon nap--

Monday Musings - January 10, 2011

1. Wow--the second week of January already.  Time is already flying.

2. Strange week in the news--new Congress, new White House Chief of Staff, same old taxes though.  And it is tax season.

3. Be happy where you are.  It's hard sometimes because I want to be somewhere I'm not.

4. Do palm trees grow in North Dakota?  Answer. Yes, in a greenhouse.

5. Football playoffs have begun with some shocking surprises.  Won't it be sad next year after the NFL owners have strangled the golden goose not to have football? Way to go Ravens--the only favored team that actually won.

6. Saturday--a new definition: a day to accomplish all of those things that were put off during the week.  A 12-hour work day is anticipated so that returning to the day-job on Monday will seem like taking a day off.

7. Out of control. I dreamed the other night of sliding down a snow-covered hill on the old runner sled that I had when I was a kid. I realized that when I was a kid I loved that out of control feeling of careening down the hill barely able to steer. Now--I need to be in control and I don't think I'd find it much fun.  Sad.

8. The house looked empty yesterday when we got up and Christmas was all packed away. We are still finding the little things we missed though.

9. Quote of the week from Jax made while we were playing with a big truck during Lucas' party: "Poppop, you go hide and I'll get the gas." He was playing two games at the same time.

Montes Alpha Cabernet Sauvignon 2008 -- Review

This is my first wine review of 2011, and it is also the first time that I will have reviewed a newer vintage of a wine that I previously reviewed.

I reviewed the 2006 vintage of this wine and that review at this link: 2006 MA Cab-Sav. I really enjoyed the 2006 vintage and highly recommended it. I was excited about sampling a bottle of the 2008 vintage.


The 2008 vintage of the wine has a nice deep color, which is very pleasant to experience. It has a nose full of dark berries and cherries with a hint of vanilla for some sweetness. The initial taste confirms the nose--the berries and black cherries are definitely there as well as the vanilla and a hint of tobacco and pepper. The wine has a nice feel in the mouth, silky. The tannins are very light.  The taste, however, did not linger and the wine has no finish. It just ends after the initial excitement of the nose and taste.

I was disappointed with the finish and the overall balance of the wine. There is no complexity to support the taste and the flavors. It is an easy drinking wine, but there are a lot of wines like that for much less cost. I was not convinced that this wine would get any better with age. It doesn't have either the tannins or structure to perform in this manner.

RECOMMENDATION: At about $18 per bottle, I think there are better wines out there to enjoy. This is a nice, easy drinking wine but it lacked complexity and balance.

Taxing churches and non-profits?

Way to go Mission, Kansas.

An article in on the presidential prayer team website offers some insight into how the government of Mission, Kansas is trying to subvert the tax-exempt status of churches and non-profits  with a new "fee."

Churches being levied on their number of worshipers

by Diann Noles
Mission, Kansas, a suburb of Kansas City, has a new twist on taxes – a fee that charges churches based on the number of worshipers and their number of trips to church each year. In this mid-sized, mid-America city usually associated with conservative and pro-Christian viewpoints and policies, this fee has caused an uproar among area churches and other nonprofit groups, resulting in a lawsuit against the city by two of the churches.

Diann ends her article with the following paragraph:

Mission, Kansas is not the only city in America that has tried to institute such fees: the Idaho and Florida Supreme Courts have both ruled in similar cases that such “fees” are, in fact, taxes. “This case will boil down to whether the courts consider this a fee or a property tax,” Stanley told nbcactionnews.com. “We’re confident that, based on what the Kansas Supreme Court has said many times over and the difference between a fee and a property tax that, in reality, what the city of Mission has done here is to institute a property tax and subvert the property tax exemptions for churches, charities and other nonprofit organizations, simply because they want more money.”

I urge you to click on the title and read the entire article.

We live in an era , it seems, when local governments will stoop to new levels to improve the cash flow. Fees are not reviewable like taxes, but they are a tax just the same.  Be on guard!

Trees against a Fiery Sky

Some mornings now, as I drive to work after playing racquetball, I am treated to some breath taking beauty.

Tuesday morning it was a pre-dawn red sky silhouetting the bare trees.  I wanted to take a picture to remember this sight as there were also dark clouds reflecting the red rays of the still below the horizon sun which added their own unique beauty to the scene. The trees stood tall and black with the red of the sky filling in around them. They were still--there was no wind. It reminded me of a Wooster Scott painting. I think I know where she got her inspiration.

But I was driving at high speed on a busy freeway with too many other sleepy drivers to even attempt using the camera in my cell phone.

I found something similar on the Internet--but, alas, it is not my work--but it provides an approximation of what I witnessed.

But I have it in my mind.

If only I could paint--

but then, in a manner--I just did using words instead of canvas.

Updated Huck Finn?

Really? They can do that?  They can change a classic to make it politically correct?

I read the following in an article titled: Huck Finn will lose the "N" Word. I was interested in the reasoning behind the change--but I wonder what other classics will be next? And maybe as a result history itself will be rewritten?

Revisionist history and political correctness have gone too far this time.
The problem with changing the words to make the book more acceptable is that the greatest aspect of Mark Twain's writing was that it recorded the style of the day. It was in context with where we were in America at that time. How people spoke, interacted, and thought. Changing that, to make it acceptable to modern readers loses historical value. It is the same as retouching an old photograph to remove or add items or people and dubbing over an audio track.  Twain's writing is an image and a sound-byte into real America at that time.  It is gritty and real and we need to hear and read it to understand how far we have come in America in terms of accepting ethnic diversity.

I agree with the online dictionary that this word has become probably the most offensive word in English. There are lots of mundane and offensive words that I have, sadly, been known to use and abuse--but I would never consider using this particular word in any manner and I even refuse to write it for fear of the consequences and contextual extractions which might result. 

That written, however, I believe we lose more than we gain and future generations of Americans will lose touch with the real, earthy America of which Twain wrote. I also disagree with their updating of the word to reflect "slave" as I do not believe it is the correct word to use. Slave was not a definition listed in the on line dictionary. But, it has been a long time since I read the book.

By the way--the word is also used in Gone with the Wind--although not to the same extreme that Twain wrote it.  I wonder if that book is next to be revised.

Next, someone will be trying to update the language in the Constitution and the Declaration of Independence.

World to End in May: On Prophets and Prophecy

As if we hadn't just started the year, now religious groups are predicting that there will be no Christmas in 2011.

In the AP article: End of Days in May? Christian group spreads word.  Yes, it seems that even after the movie 2012 predicted the end of life last year, now Christian groups want to scoop even the Mayan calendar.

So May 21, 2011 is it then.  Well--so was 1984, and 1844 and a lot of other times in between have been touted as the date of the end of the world.

Our world has so many prophets in it these days--it is hard to tell who is really a prophet and who is a fraud. Remember, true prophet has a 100 percent accuracy rate. I wonder what the accuracy rate is for the group predicting the end of the world on May 21st. You know the old saying--even a blind squirrel finds a nut sometimes.

Good could  from this--but, more likely, nothing good will result and on May 22nd--these people will be lumped together with other Christians by the world and we will all be considered crackpots.

And I was just thinking the year had gotten off to such a great start!

Back to the Grind--some not so random thoughts

Wow--I really felt it yesterday afternoon.

The holiday let-down hammered my about 2:30 PM.

Back at work, the holidays behind us and nothing but a long winter ahead of us for the next 75 days until Spring arrives.  At least the daylight is growing longer every day and we are soon coming out of the "dark times."

I was even thinking of getting my passport renewed so that I could go to St Lucia later this year!

I've been putting that one off for a long time.

I was in the bookstore one day last week looking at Caribbean travel guides--but decided not to buy the 400-page volume with only about 20 pages devoted to St Lucia.

Soon enough it will be warm.

I think I will make my reservations for Spring training in Sarasota soon. That is March at least.