YOU CAN'T HANDLE THE TRUTH

Col. Nathan R. Jessep, [Jack Nicholson] in a Few Good Men summed up the critical difference in the way we think about National Security.

"Son, we live in a world that has walls and those walls need to be guarded by men with guns. .... You don't want the truth because deep down in places you don't talk about at parties, you want me on that wall, you need me on that wall."

The recent investigation into CIA interrogation techniques following the 9/11 attack has me confused. Have we had a second attack? Do you want these people stopped or not?

The simple fact is we live in a nation that makes up the rules as we go along. We came here 250 years ago from Europe out of hope and greed. We stole the land from the people who lived here. We killed most of the original natives and then rounded up those who fought back into "Reservations". They were really concentration camps. We, our ancestors, called this all, "Manifest Destiny." It was our god given right to take this land and make it better.

Our history in Europe, and later in America, is clear. We are the civilization that has taken control of the world. Many serious people before us made tough decisions that have led to the way of life we lead today. It is not perfect, but it is better than any known alternative. Ask yourself; Would I rather live in Saudi Arabia, Iraq, or Afghanistan? Our culture and civilization is in conflict with that of the radical Muslim world. Like we did to the Lakota Sioux, and Apache, we need to stamp out this enemy before they destroy our homes. It is a hard decision and we need tough people to carry out the dirty business. We do not need to second guess the people who are keeping us safe or chasing down the terrorist. We may not like the way they work, but we all like our way of life and want it to continue.

Threatening to prosecute the CIA Agents who interrogated these terrorist is just plain crazy. Do you want these people bombing the mall near your home? Look at Israel. If we do not stop this now, it will become much worse and we need all the tough guys on our side....not in jail.

Dodgers Cardinals 8-18-09

My entire life I have listened to or watched baseball. My Dad loved the game and like many kids who grew up in the depression, it was his escape from the dull life of poverty. He and his brothers played "ball" almost everyday and listened to the games on radio.

As a kid in the 50s I can remember living in Alaska, Dad was in the Air Force and we lived in Anchorage. We listened to the "ball games". Either, the Dodgers or the Cardinals were the favorites. Both had been Managed by Branch Rickey, the Best Manager to ever lead a team. Branch Rickey led the Cardinals from 1919 to 1942. He was the Manager as my Dad grew up listening to the Cardinals. In 1943, Rickey moved to Manage the Dodgers.

Tonight, Jack, Pam and I are going to the Dodger Game. They are playing the Cardinals in Los Angeles. Vin Sculley said last night that these two teams have played each other over 1,800 times in the last 100 years. In all that time, they are about even with both winning about 900 games. Branch Rickey must be smiling.

The Dodgers are Managed by Joe Torre. He grew up in Brooklyn, the home of the Dodgers. He is one of the only players to have played for three teams and then Managed those teams. He was a Cardinal player in the 1960s and he Managed the Cardinals in the 1990s. The Cardinals are Managed by Tony Larussa. He, like Branch Rickey, is a lawyer who said, "I would rather ride the minor league bus than to ever step into a court room." Tony Larussa speaks fluent Spanish.

It should be a good game. Dad and Branch Rickey will be watching with Jack, Pam and me.

Healthcare Debate

I have listened to the current debate about Healthcare. Clearly, some type of action needs to be taken. 40 years ago this same debate was going on with dismal forecasts about the future of Healthcare in the 21st Century.

The future has arrived and in 40 years of debate, not much has been done. I honestly thought that the AMA would have done the long term research and come up with a viable alternative acceptable to the Health Delivery community. Clearly,the Liberals have been focused on Healthcare since Hillary suggested Universal Care back in the 90's.

With 40 years and the best boom times in the history of mankind, why haven't we solved this problem?

I guess the main reason is that so many people have gotten rich in the Health delivery business. Drug companies, equipment companies, insurance companies and Healthcare workers have all done pretty well over the last 40 years. This high profit incentive has helped to create one of the best Healthcare systems in the World. The problem is, it only works for those you can afford it. Many, far too many, can not afford quality Healthcare.

The second question: Is Heathcare a right? Should people expect high quality Healthcare? Maybe the answer is found in other similar questions. Do people have a right to high quality food, or housing, or education? In general, we have said YES, but only if you can afford it.

It's a tough world and the harsh reality is that you are only "entitled" to what you can afford. Dad used to say, "piss poor planning predicates poor performance." If you made poor career choices and have little or no education, maybe you can't afford high quality Healthcare, housing or food. Wow, that is a hard listen, but it maybe reality.

So, yes I want everyone to have quality Healthcare, but I have planned and worked hard to care for myself and my family. I just can not afford to pay for other people who have not planned and do not have the resources to afford Quality. No matter how you look at it, we are faced with a two tier system. One that continues to offer excellent high quality care for those who can afford it and one that offers minimal care for those dependent on government. Helathcare it seems, is like public housing and food stamps.

FACEBOOK

It has been years but thanks to our new friend, the Internet, I am back in touch with my niece. I am not listing her name because she has asked to keep our reconnection private. No Drama. I was on Facebook and the computer asked if I wanted to be "friends" with a person who knows some of the people I know. Turns out it was my niece. Thanks Facebook for reconnecting long lost family. Now if I could get reconnected to Kate and Jennifer things would be much better. I'm on Facebook and Twitter if you are looking for me.

X5 Pam's Batmobile

We bought a new car. It is the direct opposite of the Chevy Volt.

I had a Mercedes ML 320 for about seven years. It was good but there were some problems with the windows and the transmission. After tons of research, we decided on a BMW X3. It was the right size and got good mileage. In January of 2008 we leased a new X3 and loved it. It was the Eco Friendly SUV for the 21st Century.

Slowly we became less than thrilled. The X3 was not quite as fast as Pam liked. It also was a little too small inside when we had grown ups in the back seat. Yes, it got good mileage but it wasn't a Range Rover Sport or and X5.

So we caught car envy. We would be driving and an X5 would blow past us. Pam would look at me. I felt like I had failed to provide the rock ship car she wanted. The news said car dealers were hurting. So, we went to BMW to trade our X3 for a new X5. What a disappointment. All the cars on the lot were bloated over prices show boats. Running boards. Rear seat DVD. Navigation systems, like I can't find the grocery store or target. Many had the "new Diesel engine." Ugh! They were all $70K+ and it would take over $15,000 to lease a car for $1,000 a month. No way.

We went home. We planned to just be happy with the X3. Then Roger told me about his new car. He bought it from Carmax. Yes, it was "used" but it had very low mileage and it looked brand new. It was an Audi A6 that was leased and turned in after one year. I searched the Carmax site and found a year old BMW X5 with 12,000 miles for $48,000. This was a huge saving over the new X5 and it did not have all the silly extras. No running boards.

We went to drive it a week ago. It has a 4.8 liter V8 with 350 horsepower. It really goes. It also has third row seats and mush more interior room. So, we traded the X3 for the new "Batmobile" X5. It is Anthracite Black Metallic with black leather. Just like Batman would have on the Batmobile. Pam drives it like she stole it. On the way home from Carmax she hit 110 on the toll road. There is a read out on the dash that tells average miles per gallon. She is currently getting 16. This is a high, up from her original 12.

So much for Eco Friendly.

LIGHTNING BOLT

I have been wrong before. I repeatedly said the iPhone was a gimmick and that Obama could never be elected. Both turned out much better than I had expected. Now I want to discuss the Electric Car. Chevy's new Volt [aka "Dolt"] makes me wonder about collective intelligence. They have shown this car for over two years and keep telling us it is "coming". Coming when? And, who really cares?

Like the original iPhone, the Volt is just a gimmick. They said yesterday that it gets 230 miles per gallon. Ya, it's a plug in electric car. Tell us what it will do for your home electric bill. Here in Kalifornia, we have repeatedly had summer hot spells with rolling Black-Outs of electricity. Everywhere they are telling us to use less electricity by "Flexing our Power". Then the very next commercial is telling us to buy plug in electric cars? Huh? Do these tree hugging Green Peace Hippies talk to each other? The ones trying to cut electricity use need to tell the electric cars guys....there ain't no electricity to run air conditioners and dryers. Why would we add to the load the recharging of cars?

Everyone says the answer is wind energy. Out in Palm Springs they have miles of wind mills designed to generate electricity. I have never seen half of these things working at any one time. Are they shut off? Why are we "Flexing our Power" if they aren't even running all the wind mills now? I just don't understand how all this clean power and eco friendly future is going to work. I'm setting my air conditioner to 78 on hot days and they are telling me to buy electric cars?

Finally, let's say everyone does buy electric cars. I will be the very last person in line. How does this help the need for oil to fly airplanes and fuel trucks? Is some genius working on the plug in all electric airplanes?

How long?

The recent arrest of Henry Louis Gates upset me. No, not because he was arrested or because of the Police Officer was white. What upset me was the reaction among Blacks in America. Including our President.

I want to jump ahead to the big question that nobody seems willing to ask: WHEN WILL BLACK AMERICA BE READY TO LET THE PAST GO AND MOVE ON?

My family never owned a slave. We were Irish and too poor to own shoes. My family came to America in the 1890s and struggled to survive. Our story is just as heart breaking as many others about poverty and family. My mother learned from her mother to hate the English. She told me Ireland had been at war with England for 400 years. When asked if she would like I drink, she would ask for that "Irish Whine." Then say, "We wish the English would go home." So, being Irish, I can understand how people would hold a grudge. Still, even the Irish seemed to have come to some peace with the Occupation.

Why after over 150 years and the end of slavery, with a Black President, are Blacks still "outraged"? Will there ever be a day when their issues won't be about being black? Can you see a day....off in the far distant future, when a white cop arrests a black professor and the media says....the guy was an asshole and deserved it?

How long must we listen to this "outrage"? Hasn't America, most of whom never did anything to a Black person, listened to this whining long enough? If Black America wants to be treated equal they only need to stop crying. Everyone else has a long sad history too. The Jews, no walk in the park. The Mexicans, we stole California and Texas. The Chinese, worked to death building the railroads, and the Irish....England still owns the Northern corner of our island.