Scott Walker, Public Employee Unions and here we go again

OK, so unless you've been purposely being full-body scanned at your neighborhood International airport for the past two months, you've probably heard something about some weird shenanigans going on in Wisconsin. Wisconsin? You mean that state that Canada didn't want because they play real football, make lousy beer and we had to take them because we lost a bet? I'm sure there are a few real fine folks up there, but really, Canada would be a much better fit for you. Well since we're stuck with you, try to make Harleys just a little more reliable, will ya? And for Pete's sake, try wearing a shirt when you watch a game at Lambeau.
Oh, and thanks for that whole Brett Farve thing. Give us another Bart Starr, but keep no-class guys like Brett up there.
So anyway, the thing you may have heard in passing has to do with a guy named Scott Walker. He happens to be the governor of the tundra, and I'm sure he's a fine man. He presides over one of the better state economies (i.e. not teetering on the abyss this week), at least if you compare it with states where people actually live, such as California, Florida and New York. Not to say they don't have their own fiscal mess, but it doesn't rise to the level some others do. Mr. Walker's analysis indicates that they are running a $3.6 billion deficit over the next two years. Don't get me wrong, that's a ton o' beans, but it ain't THAT big.
Read some of the headlines on this situation:
"Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker Readies National Guard Against Unions" - The Huffington Post, 2/11/11.
"Union Bosses say one thing, do another" - on the Governor's website.
What's this all about, anyway?
I am no expert on Wisconsin or their fiscal problems. I do not know what alternatives they might have to close their deficit, aside from the old tried-and-true spend less than what you take in. But it certainly sounds like both (all) sides have drawn a line in the sand and have forgotten how to smooth it over.
Let me give you a sense of what it's like in New York. Having lived here for 21 years, after leaving California like a scared rabbit, I landed a job with the New York Lottery. Yup, I'm a state slug. And believe me, what Wisconsin faces is child's play compared to what both New York and California have/are/will be facing.
So let's draw some parallels, shall we?
In the dizzying race to see which state is the most corrupt, Louisiana used to be hands-down the winner, followed closely by Florida. But the times, they are a-changin'. You'd be hard pressed to find a resident of any of our states that didn't believe their own state was as bad as it could get. Except maybe Utah. And Idaho doesn't look too bad, either. Maybe Montana.
But New York, well, we sort of invented political shenanigans. And those we didn't invent we've co-opted, refined and perfected. Heck, corruption here is so ingrained our last Governor tried working a deal with the State Police to have 24 hour protection even after he was out of office, in clear violation of the law. What for? The damage had already been done. No one would want to harm the guy now, as long as he left Albany.
Part of the corruption involves Public Employee unions (leaving out entirely the unions tangled up with organized crime). Well, I say corruption but it may just be something a little less than that, like collusion.
You need to understand that I belong to a Public Employee union, specifically PEF (Public Employees Federation). I used to belong to CSEA (Civil Service Employees Association), but got bounced from that when I took a promotion. This is not a real comfortable situation for me, because I have long thought the Unions have outlived their usefulness. Instead of protecting workers from real issues brought by harsh employers, they've descended into protecting malingerers, malcontents and outright thieves. In another life I managed people, and I'd like to think that none of them ever needed or wanted protection.
So if I have a problem with Unions, why do I belong to one?
It's real simple. Here's where the "C" word comes in. New York has been held hostage by the Unions for so long, the vast majority of rank-and-file employees become Union members. Otherwise, they pay the Unions a 'shop fee' equivalent to the dues.
Huh?
You betcha, either you belong or they get your money anyway. And if you pay the shop fee without becoming a member, you don't have dental or vision insurance coverage.
So when did Franz Kafka live in New York, and who gave him the ability to define employer-employee relations?
So I prostituted myself and joined the Union. Hey, the kids needed to see the dentist, and I wear glasses.
But somehow I feel that I've lost a little bit of my soul, because I've never needed Union protection and am still paying them $585 a year in order to work. By the time I retire, I'll have paid in something to the tune of $14,000. And they say that stuffing envelopes at home is a ripoff.
And yet...and yet. Here we are on the cusp of another budget battle. The last clown we had in Albany laid off workers. He turned them into pawns and would admittedly go back on his word to the Unions and the residents. I am not referring to him as a clown because he laid off workers. He was a clown without that. But he exacerbated his clownishness by trying to paint state workers as the Alpha and Omega of why the state has been deficit-ridden for years. Of course, it had nothing to do with the buffoons in the Legislature and the Senate, who actually spend the money, who were spending money they didn't have. The 'member items', AKA Pork, the Legislator's offices and staff, the layers of bureaucracy that perform no work, none of them had anything to do with that of course. No, it was those evil state employees. And only them. Why, if we could just get rid of them, the grass would be greener, the sky bluer, the Mets could actually field a winning team and the New York Jets and New York Giants might actually play in New York.
The Buffalo Bills, on the other hand, aren't going to win even without state employees.
Now, don't get me wrong. The Unions are just as bad as the lawmakers. After all, they've swung sweetheart deals with the best of them. I must admit that I make a good buck - a very good buck. I have outstanding benefits that private sector employers are not in a position to give anymore. And sorry, I'm keeping them. Not to rub it in, but for full disclosure (and since it's public record anyway), my salary is just north of $65,000. I'm not getting fat feeding at the public trough, but it's a very good living. My insurance is middle-of-the-pack but it costs a bit less than most HMOs. For the first 10 years I worked, I contributed 3% of my salary to the pension fund. That's it. And after 24 years, when I retire, I'll have roughly half my salary in pension benefits. All in all, it's really good.
But that's one reason I chose to take this job. At the time of hire, it was a fairly significant salary decrease to what I'd been earning. Just as anyone else, there were tradeoffs I accepted.
Now here's the rub. I am nominally a more conservative guy (little 'c') who wants government lean and mean. Take care of those who cannot, but don't allow public assistance to become a lifestyle. Don't spend money foolishly. And for crying out loud, live within your budget. But on some portion of this, the Unions are right. See, it's not all one way or the other. Both sides have their good points, and both are equally pigheaded and just plain wrong.
Back to the pension, which is the lightning rod of the issue in many ways. In this day and age, is it typical that employers are offering a package like what I have? No. They'd go broke, or would try to make you think they would. But when this system was put together way back when, it was designed to be a carrot to get people to work in public sector jobs. Traditionally the salaries couldn't match the private sector, and even then the post-retirement benefits were much more common in the private sector. But again, times change.
So here we are, trying to find a way out of this mess. Just as General Motors found they just could not afford to continue paying retirement benefits at that level, and as other companies have severely curtailed if not eliminated pensions, State governments need to revise their situations. So how do you do that?
Well, David Paterson in New York decided unilaterally to lay off workers, even though the Unions had agreed to concessions. The biggest one was creating a new tier for employees that had less generous pensions and a larger employee contribution. Frankly, that was long overdue. And it's another reason I have trouble buying the Union line, because what they (we) were getting was simply unsustainable. And they fought very hard to not capitulate to that necessary step. But again, Paterson went back on his word after the concession and laid off workers in the final hours of his administration.
And we haven't even mentioned California employees, who had unpaid furloughs forced upon them by the Governator. And now Scott Walker is threatening to strip most public employees of their collective bargaining rights. By himself. Except the State Police and a few other public safety groups. Of course, then he also tried to get the State Police to arrest recalcitrant law-makers who have been vacationing in Illinois, even though a) Wisconsin Police have no jurisdiction in Illinois and b) no laws have apparently been broken anyway.
Is it me, or has everyone in government gone loopy?
What lemming-like phenomenon has turned presumably normal people to draw lines in the sand that cannot be massaged into agreements? What has happened that we've become so polarized, so Balkanized that it's either my way or the highway? For Walker to take the approach that the Wisconsin legislature must approve his budget that specifically destroys the collective bargaining that has been in place for years or he will lay everyone off is ludicrous. Do the Unions have too much now? Probably. But in all fairness, current employees have the right to expect that the terms of their employment will not change without their consent. When New York's Governor demanded that the Unions open up their current contract for modification, the Unions did the right thing and told him to take a hike. Were the agreements in place unfair to the public? Maybe, maybe not. But it gets down to this: a contract is a contract. If it's a lousy contract, remember that when you negotiate the next one. Negotiate a better one. But you don't go back and say that you did a bad job on the last one and you need to do it over, not when you're in the final year of the contract.
Mr. Walker and the Unions that represent the Wisconsin workers have a tough job ahead. They need to step back from the precipice and work together to come up with something fair for both sides. As a wise old man used to say, if both sides are equally unhappy, it's a good contract. If Mr. Walker continues his approach to destroy collective bargaining, he may get what he wants. But he will then lose the battle, and will have been wrong in doing it.
And don't forget to keep an eye on your State, either. This is just the beginning.

You say it like it was a bad thing...

I was recently told that I was provocative. It was not intended as a compliment. A coworker has (probably correctly) described me as grandstanding. I think I should take umbrage at these slurs, but I don’t. Why should I?

I suppose it depends on your definition of provocative. Years ago I’d hear that word used to describe Lenny Bruce, Mort Sahl, George Carlin, Dick Gregory, and other comedians of that generation. Sometimes the word was intended to sell their tickets and albums, other times as denigrating how they did their jobs.

Occasionally you’ll hear the term used in the context of North Korea or Iraq trying to stir up trouble. In that sense it’s certainly not complimentary.

What we have here is a failure to communicate. Does that line sound familiar? Cool Hand Luke certainly provoked. But in the larger sense, we really do have a failure to communicate. Let me ‘splain.

While I would never claim that I don’t intentionally say things to piss people off, in most cases that isn’t the reason. Sometimes it’s plain fun to say provocative things just to get a rise. For example, a friend has a Chihuahua, which in my humble opinion is a useless animal that should have gone the way of the dodo. Whenever I see Pocho (pronounced “Paco”; don’t ask me why the dog never learned to spell) I put him in the microwave. Just because. For some reason, some overly sensitive folks, like every one I know, take offense to that. Even if I don’t actually hit the ‘Start’ button.

No – mostly I’m trying to get people to think about what they’re saying instead of just parroting it. Provocative in the sense of provoking thought, discussion, debate. Sometimes it takes the approach of playing Devil’s advocate. That's entertaining, because I may actually agree with the person - I just wonder why they think the way they do. But once in awhile I stand there and wonder if the person making a statement is clean and sober, as in ‘I can’t believe you mean that’.

There are a couple of fables you’ve heard of that describe what I do for entertainment. Both apply in equal measure. ‘The Emperor’s New Clothes’ and ‘Don Quixote’. This is probably something for the psychiatrist couch, but hey, I’ll lay myself bare here.

I love the idea of the common person telling someone in power they don’t have a clue. It probably goes to my thorough disdain for hubris. After all, many in a position of authority suffer from that disease, with no cure except for political defeat. The story is a metaphor for getting even for the high handed behavior wielded by those who should not have authority.

The other story communicates my deep-seated need to be constantly at war with something. I am enamored of tilting at the windmill of injustice. Of course, what may be wrong to my eyes may be right in yours. Injustice takes many forms. Is it right that we have a large percentage of our population on public assistance? Who is the wronged here, the person receiving assistance or the person paying for it? You choose your side, but recognize it’s never a clear cut right versus wrong. There’s right and wrong on both sides.

The downside to being a provocateur is that it sometimes leads to shunning. I recently took an unpopular position on a debate regarding the right for Amazon.com to have for sale a book supporting the notion that sexual abuse of children was a good thing. Clearly, I never thought that was a book that had good ideas. It was reprehensible in any sense. But I was trying to look at the larger issue: banning unpopular things. In this particular case, folks took me to task, and rightly so. It wasn’t that I was wrong or they were wrong, it was a matter of we need to think and talk about these issues. I doubt anyone was persuaded one way or the other, but everyone was civil. And at least we talked and thought.

Yesterday, the US Supreme Court issued a ruling that hasn’t quite raised the hue and cry I would have thought. It concerns a judgment for $5 Million given the parent of a soldier killed in action, to have been paid by a Baptist church group out of Kansas. They have made it their mission to attend and protest at military funerals, saying that it’s God’s will this soldier died because the US supports gay rights (at least semi-officially). That church's position may be the topic of another blog, because of the passions it stirs in many of us. But not today.

It disturbs me that anyone would try to make political hay out of the solemn and very personal act of burying a loved one. The grief of a soldier’s parent, while all too common, is still as heart wrenching as you can imagine. How dare someone try to turn that into a media circus? Aren’t there other, more appropriate venues for protest? Of course there are, but that’s not the point.

Just as in the Amazon.com issue, at the end of the day what we’re talking about is censorship. As wrong-headed, as well-intended (the Church matter) or evil-intended (the Amazon.com matter), as insulting, degrading, despicable, repugnant or deplorable the offensiveness is, we cannot go down the road of censorship. As soon as we allow the Government to determine what’s acceptable and what isn’t, there might well be a ban on something you care about. Then what would you say? “I wanted you to ban A, but not B?” What about your neighbor who wanted the opposite?

I've heard persuasive argument from articulate people that we need limitations on free speech. Just tonight I heard about some differences between us and some European countries, specifically France and Germany, who regulate speech in that 'Hate Speech' is a crime. That has its genesis in the aftermath of World War II and the Holocaust. It's hard to argue with that position, because of the sensitivity of what led to the legislation. But as much regard as I have for the victims, regardless of their situation, it's difficult to accept the inevitable result of curtailing free speech.

Does that mean that everything is fair game, regardless of the venue, regardless of who might be offended? No, of course not. We have the duty to protect our children from offensive behavior. We can choose to counter-protest, civilly of course. We can choose to remove ourselves from what we find offensive. Change the channel, as it were. We have the responsibility to act like adults. This is the price we pay for the freedom we expect. There is no free lunch.

No, the issue here is more to the core of the American Experience. We cherish our freedoms, fleeting as they may be. Let’s not willingly give up any more.

As Voltaire is credited with saying, “I disapprove of what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it.” He was right.

And this time, anyway, the Supreme Court got it right.

Take it for what it's worth...

I am blessed.

As I write those simple words while waiting for a flight from Los Angeles back to my home, it is striking how simple they sound. And yet how profound they are. In that light, it will likely be a challenge to keep from crying in front of several hundred fellow travelers.
It’s a concept that I’ve just recently become aware. More to the point, it’s something that has taken on new texture. I’m not a big believer in ‘luck’ but freely acknowledge that I’ve been a very lucky person. That probably adds another layer to realizing my good fortune.
This trip didn’t start off as a positive. Really it was more of a rescue, an assist to my parents. That it occurred over the Thanksgiving holiday was coincidence of timing.

My mother is 81. Dad is 82. Three days after her 81st birthday, Mom had a laminectomy and spinal fusion. I won’t get into the medical theory behind it, but it is a tough surgery, especially for an 81 year old. That was just the beginning.
While in the hospital, Mom contracted MRSA – Methicillin Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus. That is an infection that is common in hospitals, and can result in potentially life-threatening infections. It’s ugly because it is resistant to many antibiotics. For further information, here’s the Mayo Health link to the story:
MRSA
In Mom’s case, it made recovery from the surgery more difficult, although no one knew it at this point.
She was released to a rehabilitation facility where the routine recovery steps were taken. Mostly this consisted of walking and physical therapy to regain her strength and re-learn how to walk. Partially because of the surgery and its after effects and partially because of the MRSA she lost all appetite. These factors contributed to her downward spiral.
Somehow she got the impression she could live on Ensure, and basically that became her diet. No one at the rehab facility would force her to eat normally, simply because they can’t. Once she was released home, she maintained that (non)eating pattern. Between that and the MRSA, she became weaker, rapidly losing any desire to walk or exercise. The inevitable result was that she fell down.
Complicating this scenario is Dad’s condition. He’s been suffering from a leg ulcer that hasn’t completely healed after two years. In combination with the normal wear and tear of getting older, he has had more and more trouble getting up from a chair, let alone walking.

And after getting home…
I’ve let the above stew for a few days. Partly because it was difficult to write on the plane with others around. Partly because I just wanted to get home and spend time with my wife. Partly because, frankly, it was getting tough to think about this all waking hours, and several hours when I should have been sleeping. Other thoughts flooded back, including work. But mostly because it’s hard to wrap my head around what has happened, what needs to happen and what will happen.

Long story short, Mom continues to deteriorate, ever so slowly. She has difficulty eating enough to keep her alive, due to lack of appetite, depression and now nausea. Fortunately we’ve got a support staff starting to come together so that hopefully she will recover enough to enjoy life again.

So what does this have to do with gratitude? How could one possibly feel blessed under these circumstances?

Ever since my son’s accident I’ve noticed a change in my own attitude. Essentially it’s a matter of recognizing some bad things happen and that they are more worthy of concern than the mundane irritations. Mike’s accident provided a reason to get on my knees and ask for help. Understanding that so much is out of your control is humbling, but it’s also rewarding in that you know you have no influence on the matter, so you are relieved of the responsibility of fixing it. In Mom’s case, it’s knowing that I can help how and when I can help, but I can’t cure her. We can make arrangements for doctors, treatment, household services and personal care. We can ask for guidance and help from the professionals, but it has become more useful to ask for help from our Creator. That has given much easing of our burden. It hasn’t removed it entirely, nor should it. Nor should it absolve us of our duties as loved ones to practice due diligence. But it’s apparent to me that we don’t have to carry the burden ourselves. And for that, I am grateful.

To realize that there are people important in our lives that are willing to help. To know that our extended families are supportive has been a blessing. You know who you are, and I thank you.

The comments and support given by friends and co-workers. Friends have put Mom on their Church prayer list. I am grateful for this.

The concern expressed by my ex-wife. Cindy worked with my parents for a few years and they grew terribly fond of each other. Thank you.

The love and support from my wife, Darlene, is incredible. She knows Mom well, and they are great buddies. It is gratifying to see that relationship, but heartbreaking that they’re so many miles away from each other.

But most importantly, the ability to spend time with my family. That's something never to take for granted, because you just never know.

So yes, for all mentioned previously, and more, I am blessed.

On getting older

One of the benefits in being young is the ability to see things clearly.  There is wrong, there is right.  There is right, there is left.  There is up, there is down.  There is no gray, no indecision, there is my way or the highway.

And then you age.  And then you tend to see nuances, to see the shadows in the light.  You understand that what you think is subject to constant revision, if not indecision.  You can follow the logical course of an action and figure out what may be the end result.  As our parents told us many years ago, you learn to think before you act, or at least understand possible ramifications in your actions.  But if you’re like me, you have the impulse from time to time to just do it, just take the action, regardless of the outcome.  That can be a bad thing.

So it’s in this mindset of shadows and light we look at a recent event that’s caused some agita for a lot of thoughtful people.

Before I begin, it must be said that I have no personal knowledge of the events to be described.  I’m only taking it on the word of others, and what’s been published.

Apparently there was a e-book for sale on Amazon.com called "The Pedophile's Guide to Love and Pleasure: A Child-Lover's Code of Conduct".  According to the author, it was written to ‘address what he considers unfair portrayals of pedophiles in the media.’  Further, he maintains that true pedophiles would never hurt a child.  This, of course, is pure baloney.

The self-publication of this tome along with the listing on Amazon.com prompted a furious backlash.  One doesn’t have to think very much to figure out why this has led to many attempts to organize boycotts against Amazon.  There have been calls for banning the sale of this as well as other actions.  It would not be surprising to hear that someone finds out who the creep was who wrote it and assassinated him.

Well meaning people have taken these types of actions before, on various subjects.  Does anyone remember Tipper Gore before Al gave her the kiss at the convention?  She led the fight to get what is now commonly seen on CDs – the ubiquitous Parental Advisory.  Some countries where civil liberties are not part of their national identity burn books.  Salman Rushdie published “The Satanic Verses” and is still under fatwa. 

This is in no way a defense of the subject matter of the e-book.  It is as reprehensible, as despicable as anything I can imagine.  The parent part of me wants to destroy the practice as well as the author.  On the scale of evil, this certainly must rank near the top.  And as the father of a victim of pedophilia, there is no worse anguish imaginable to see your child go through.  Even though several years have passed, it is constantly on my mind.  And internally I cry often for what my daughter has lived through and the impact it has made on her life.  She will never be able to erase the memories, and the memories will are a constant companion for her.  In some ways, it has destroyed her life.  Thankfully, she does not have the victim mentality.  But the person responsible for this is to this day walking free.  I cannot tell you how often I’ve dreamed of maiming him, of extracting more than a pound of flesh for his crime.  Fortunately, I do believe in eternal judgment, and have to trust that he will pay the price for what damage he has done.

But.

I am also mindful of the liberties we enjoy.  And those liberties include the right of free speech, regardless of the content, regardless of how disgusting it might be.  One of the problems with a boycott are that it creates a ‘crash scene’ mentality.  It draws undue attention to the subject of the boycott.  It gives the author the notoriety they crave.  And that by itself may lead to bigger sales than would occur if ignored.

Banning the e-book?  Absolutely foolish.  People are drawn to what they are forbidden to see.

From a marketing standpoint, Amazon initially took the position (at least publicly) that they would never infringe upon the sacred right of free speech.  From a public relations standpoint this was about as dumb as you could get.  What did Amazon hope to gain?  If it was to prove that they would stand for free speech, guess again.  As of today, the e-book has been pulled.  So much for standing on principle.

My concern is that when people talk about banning anything, the civil liberties portion of my brain starts to tingle.  This is not an endorsement of the ACLU, however.  That organization has, in my opinion, crossed over the line far too often to be of any real value.  But I would not deny Robert Mapplethorpe the right to display his “art”, I would not have denied Anton La Vey his right to espouse whatever doctrine he chose, I would not deny the Klan the ability to perpetuate their putrid hatred.  Because at the end of the day, who would be the one to decide what is acceptable?  If, for example, an administration somehow got a law passed to deny the right to protest their decisions, we would be far worse off than now.

This is not a time to stick our heads in the sand.  It is the time to make sure we are vigilant in protecting our rights – even the right to be wrong.

You’re wrong, I’m right! No, I’m wrong, you’re right! Wait a minute!!

There’s an old saying about disagreeing without being disagreeable.  Whatever happened to that concept?

Of course, I’m talking about politics.  Actually, it could be about everyday life, simply because so much of it has been politicized.  What used to be discussed over the backyard fence with your neighbor has now been hijacked by the talking heads that command so much of the airwaves.  And instead of being joked about or minimized so that it wouldn’t become a sore point between friends, now they command the attention of millions several days in a row.

Let’s start by getting the names you know out there.  Rush Limbaugh.  Sean Hannity.  Glenn Beck.  Keith Olbermann.  Bill Maher.  Jon Stewart.  Bill O’Reilly.  Michael Savage.  Dennis Miller.  Steven Colbert.  Geraldo Rivera.  Chris Matthews.  Ann Coulter.  Michael Medved.  Michael Moore.  Laura Ingraham. And a blast from the past, Joe Pyne.   Lots more, but you’re starting to see how pervasive it is.  Add into that the number of celebrities who are pushing one agenda or another regardless of their credentials and you start to get the impression that either you have a show or you’re opinion doesn’t count.

Aside from the obvious, what can you find in common about all of those above?  Here’s a hint – no matter which side they choose to bash, they really aren’t all that different.

A good friend of mine since the last century, Paul, mentioned that he’d heard another commentator, Mike McConnell, say that there are more similarities than either side would admit.  And he’s right.

What has this done to the normal discourse?  Further, does the vitriol spewed by so many of the folks reflect the country at large, or is it merely feeding the fire?  In other words, is political commentary the cause or the effect of how polarized we are today?

And here’s a scary thought: is the divisiveness we’re seeing today leading us toward the sectarian Balkanization we see in other countries?

This country has always been portrayed as the safe haven for dissenters, no matter how wacky.  Yet it seems that we’re insulating ourselves from opinions not quite like our own and labeling practitioners of opposing views as evil, un-American, intolerant, stupid, insolent and morally bereft.

It’s becoming less like the America I want to live in.

It crosses all sorts of lines: racial, ethnic, gender, age, political party, wealth, education, you name it.

Now for the disclosure: I have for some time been described by my parents as just to the right of Genghis Khan.  However, that’s not entirely accurate either.  Conservatives would disown me because I happen to disagree with some of their standards.  For example, I don’t believe that every “real American” is entitled to own assault rifles, bazookas or an F-22 Raptor.  In fact, I’d feel much safer if very few had guns, sort of like Great Britain.

I think that campaign finance reform as we know it is a joke.  The Supreme Court decision was disturbing.  And term limits should be in place for every elected politician.

There is a place for generosity and giving assistance to those who cannot fend for themselves.  However, it should not be a birthright for their children or grandchildren.

What’s interesting is that the political lines have shifted over the years.  What was espoused by John Kennedy is in some cases seen as part of the moderate Republican agenda.  Kennedy understood the problems of over taxation.  He understood the need for people to volunteer and that little G government could not and should not be the source of answers for all of society’s needs.

Eisenhower spoke about the dangers of the military-industrial complex.

In the past two thousand years philosophers and historians have dissected what destroyed the Roman Empire.  Much of it was hubris, much of it was the Government being the end all, be all.  In some cases we seem to be repeating that now.

But I digress.  We were discussing the current state of affairs.

Another old friend from school, Willie, posted an interesting comment on Facebook: “Ok Tea Party/Republicans.  You pretty much got what you wanted so now it's all on you.  When you get sworn in on January 3, 2011 I expect to wake up on January 4, 2011 with a fully restored economy and every American in a full time job.. I'll extend you the same amount of patience and support as you gave to the current administration. No excuses about needing time to turn things around.”

At first I dismissed Willie’s comment as being sour grapes.  But upon further review, he has a point – although I’m not sure he’d agree with my assessment.  I think Willie’s distress at the outcome of the election is a commentary on the divide and the lack of civility we experience daily.  Whether you agree with him or not is moot; what matters is that his comments mirror the same sentiments you hear from one side or the other.  And that’s the disturbing thing.

So we’ve come to this.  It’s the natural human desire to vanquish your enemies, but it’s been ratcheted up by the politicization of virtually everything in life.  It’s more than a lack of civility – it’s our seeming inability to discuss things rationally without becoming upset with the messenger.  The virtue of disagreeing without being disagreeable.

While you can certainly look back at our history and find the cartoons of Thomas Nash or records of politicians demonizing their opponents (remember the history lesson of Senator Preston Brooks caning Senator Charles Sumner), you can also look back at the more recent history of Tip O’Neill and Ronald Reagan.  This almost brings back fond memories of backroom political deals in smoke-filled kitchens.  O’Neill and Reagan, while rarely in agreement politically, became pretty good friends.  There are stories about how the two would get together after hours and share a drink and compromise for the good of the people.  Whether you think it was wise or not, it did show that rare commodity, civility.

Perhaps we need a good stiff shot of that lesson.

Oh, is there an election this year?

Depending on how this goes, this post could be the first of several.  Or it could be a one-off.  Mostly it depends on what happens Tuesday.

I remember growing up hearing that ‘the youth of today’ were the worst, the times were worse than at any other time in history, the country was sliding straight to Hell, the world had more dangerous things happening that ever, that the Left or the Right or the Middle would be the ruination of us all, that the world was coming to an end, blah, blah, blah.  With a little age and perspective I realized that every generation had said that about their times.  Hey, you mention it enough, sooner or later someone will look like they know what they’re talking about.

And then there’s this year.

The ones getting the press are the fire-breathers on both sides, the talking heads, the true believers and the tea-partiers.  Whatever happened to being rational?  Moderation?  Forget about it.  You’re either drinking the Kool-Aid on one side or the other.  You’re either part of the problem or you don’t count.

Now for the sake of disclosure, I tend to be fairly conservative when it comes to governing.  I believe the Federal government needs to protect our borders from assault by a foreign power, but not from lawful immigration.  They need to do the big things, like underwrite the space program.  They need to help protect our resources from destruction by whoever is bent on destroying them.  They need to protect parks, national monuments and the environment.  They need to deliver the mail.  They should ensure that corporations behave responsibly.  There are more uses for the Federal government, but not many.

The states should have the right and the duty to provide reasonable aid to those who can’t provide for themselves.  Reasonable in that here’s a hand and some help getting you back on your own two feet.  States should have the ability to have fair elections, without gerrymandering.  Again, there are many other things the States should be responsible for.

But here’s the deal: A lot of the stuff that Washington is doing should be left to the States.  A lot of stuff the States and the Feds are doing shouldn’t be done at all.  Basically, get out of the citizen’s lives unless they NEED the help.  Government has started abridging our rights and freedoms under the guise of protecting us.  Yes, we may be more protected if we continue giving up rights and freedoms.  After all, China, North Korea, Iran Saudi Arabia, Syria, Libya and Cuba don’t seem to have too many terroristic issues.  But would you want to live like them?

We’re in a Catch-22.  Not too many like where we’re going or where we’ve been.  Yet people are convinced that they can’t change anything, they can’t do anything about it.  So they don’t vote.  And things don’t change.  And when they do vote, chances are better than even that they’re not sure why they’re voting for a candidate, the the candidate isn’t as repugnant as the other.  To paraphrase: Nobody likes the weather but nobody does anything about it. 

So why would a candidate run for office?  Most candidates would say it’s because they want to contribute to society, they have something to offer, all the altruistic things.  And some candidates probably even believe that, or used to.  But the never-ending cynic says that it’s about the power.  And money.  One tends to lead to the other.  Otherwise, why would you have a candidate for Governor in California (hint: she’s a woman) spending $140 million of her own money to win a job that pays, what, $174,000 a year?  I’m not picking on Meg Whitman – I don’t know her from Eve.  I know she’s running behind Jerry Brown, old Moonbeam himself.  And why is he running?  He was Governor for two terms (a few years after his dad was booted from office).  After Jerry left he became Mayor in Oakland.  He’s been a politician since birth and it’s doubtful he’s ever had a job not in politics.

Mario, er, Andrew Cuomo is all but elected in New York.  Why?  Probably because it’s his birthright.  Oh, yeah, then there’s the fact that there are some little people running against him, who together won’t pull the votes Andy does.  And he’s raised some $37MM to run his campaign.  Why does he get that much?  Well, Unions, Corporations and Wealthy People want something, obviously.  They’re not stupid.  They’re betting on a sure thing.  Why?  Access.

So if you live in Merced, California or Batavia, New York and you earn $35,000 a year and have a mortgage that hasn’t been foreclosed and a car or two that still runs, what does this matter?  What will Jerry or Andrew or Meg or Carl or any of the other candidates do for you?

Not a stinkin’ thing.

Sorry to be blunt, but think about it.  If you’ve gotten a call from Bill Clinton, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Barack Obama, George Bush, George Pataki, Pat Boone, Michael Steele or any other used-to-be-heavyweight/never-quite-a-heavyweight, do you think for a moment that they know who you are, or what you want?  Forget about it.  Although it was pretty creepy when I got a call from Pat Boone yesterday, who said, “Hello, Richard”.  Yeah, I think the implant must have beamed to the satellite.

No, you’re the token.  Or the prize.  Or the pawn.  You’re the one they want to vote for them and their Grand Plan to save us from the evils out there from the other party.  Or else, if they’re really thinking (or they’re the incumbent) they don’t want you to vote at all.  Why?  Because if people stay away from polls the incumbent almost always wins.

So who are getting the ‘messages’ out?  PACS.  Special Interest groups.  They’re the ones raising the cash and doling it out.  They’re the ones responsible for the deluge of robo-calls, not explaining what their candidate will do but why the others are beyond reprehensible.  They’ll drive you crazy, sort of like what happened to Laurence Harvey (or Liev Schreiber for you young whippersnappers) in The Manchurian Candidate.  You’ll be confused by the claims, counter-claims, deceptions, statistics and promises.  You’ll be so disgusted you probably won’t vote.  This year, as mad as people are about how the Republicans or the Democrats or the Independents or the Federalists or the Whigs have screwed things up, it’ll be a surprise if there’s a 40% turnout nationwide.

Why should you vote?  Your vote doesn’t mean anything.  It won’t change anything.  Things will still get better or get worse or stay the same.  Politicians will still lie, cheat and steal.  The winners will put their contributors and supporters and friends into a job or in line for a government deal.  Or they’ll steer contracts.  After all, isn’t having access the most important thing?

Well, maybe that’s right.  Maybe your vote won’t do anything.  Well, to steal a line from the Lottery, you gotta be in it to win it.  Basically it comes down to this.  If you don’t get off your kiester and vote, you have no right to complain.  After all, you didn’t take the time to try to change it.

Now does that mean to vote just to vote?  Please, no, don’t do that.  We have some responsibilities in this country.  Think of it as the price to pay for what freedoms we still have left.  One of those responsibilities is to be educated enough to make an intelligent vote.  Yeah, sometimes you’ll have to hold your nose to vote for one over another.  But trust me, if you don’t, the other side always wins.

Better yet, think about running for an office yourself.  If you get involved for altruistic reasons, like you really do want to contribute or to make a difference, you might be a great candidate.  Start with something small, like your school board.  Learn what you can and use that knowledge to make the changes you believe in.

But when you succeed and your ego gets in the way it’s time to retire.

This year, I figure if you’re the incumbent and I don’t like where you’re party is leading us, you are not getting my vote.  As Yogi might say, “Trow da bums out!”

Yeah, there’ll be more later.  I’m just getting warmed up.

So long, Ma…

Barbara Jean Becker passed away yesterday morning at age 78.  You probably don’t know Barb, probably had never heard of her.  Heck, this may be the first time she’s ever been mentioned on the web.

Who was Barb Becker?

She is half of my kids’ grandmother.  She’s the mother of my ex-wife.  As far as ex-mothers-in-law, she was the best.  As far as a person, she was one of the best.

Let me tell you a little bit about her.

I first met her in 1984 when Cindy and I started to go out.  Barb took me right in and made me feel welcome immediately.  There were stories about her doing that all the time – taking in strays.  Most of the time they were human.  She didn’t seem to have any issues trusting someone from the start.  And usually she was right.  I don’t recall hearing any stories of how she’d been taken advantage of.  She would feed folks who were hungry.  This isn’t to say she ran a boarding house, but if you were a friend of one of her kids, you were good to go.

She was Mrs. Cleaver in a day when many women were starting to find the need to get out of the house and earn money, or self-respect, or just a break from being Mrs. Cleaver.  She seemed to enjoy that role, and it fit her.  She was forever baking something good.  It may not have been good for you, but you can rest assured no one cared.

She raised seven kids, six to adulthood.  At an early age, her second son Dougie was hit and killed by a drunk driver.  As devastating as that was, she was to have more tragedy as the years passed.  Her youngest son, Tommy, passed away in his early thirties.  Just last year, her eldest boy Alan passed away.  She endured cancer, pneumonia and other assorted maladies.

Yet she didn’t ever lose her sunny optimism or her ability to see the best in all situations.

Barb was a simple woman.  She had simple tastes and doted on her family.  She never learned to drive.  She had hobbies and crafts, including making figurines out of stones.  For one birthday she made a likeness of me on a putting green out of little painted stones.  I still have that.

We couldn’t have been much more different, she and I.  She was always saying something nice about someone.  She saw good in people.  I was the opposite.

When Cindy and I divorced, Barb didn’t boot me as she might have.  For two or three years, she continued to send birthday and Christmas presents and cards.  She was gracious when on one or two times I’d stop by to say hello.  But after a short period I’d stopped going by, and asked Cindy to tell her mom to stop sending me stuff.  It felt awkward to me, but it probably didn’t to her.

I last saw her at Alan’s service a little more than a year ago.  Considering the circumstances, she was in remarkably good spirits.  To have had three of her seven children predecease her must have been more than she could bear, but you never knew it by seeing or talking with her.  She was starting to slow down, but seemed to downplay her own condition.

Forget the stereotyped mother-in-law (although I did have one of them).  My final MIL is a wonderful woman, similar to Barb.  But I couldn’t have a better ex-MIL.

The world should have many more Barb Beckers.  Glad you got your new hip, Ma.  You’re going to need it chasing your three boys around.  Take care.  We’ll miss you.

Apple, Part 2

As a follow-up to yesterday's post, here is how Satya from Apple/ITunes replied.
"Rick, please try to understand that as per the iTunes Terms of Sale, the customer is responsible for the protection of their account, and they are responsible for all purchases made. Also, please understand that if any king of unauthorized activity occurs on any account, then it becomes a legal matter. Normally, we are supposed to direct our customers to the proper authorities and then our fraud team provides the investigates about the charges only after receiving proper chargeback orders for the unauthorized purchases. This procedure takes a long time, but as you are a valued iTunes Store customer, iTunes Store refunded the amount and had to mention this as an exception." (Note that this is a copy and paste, and any spelling errors are not mine).
Not to be a curmudgeon, but while I understand the thinking that I am responsible for my own account it's hard to believe that their corporate policy is that they don't bear responsibility in the security of the customer's information on their servers! To me, this is akin to a retail company, like Sears, saying that if someone hacks their system and steals customer information and makes unauthorized purchases that the customer is responsible.
Of course, it's probably buried somewhere in the fine print. Apple/ITunes account information has been changed, but you can bet that if this happens again it will be the last time.

Apple and Identity Theft

Here it is, late in 2010 and for the first time I may actually have been the victim of identity theft.  May because the jury is still out on this one.

I received an email from ITunes this morning thanking me for an order I’d placed.  The order consisted of something called SleepUp! (5X Deep Sleep) and WeDict Pro.  The total was $11.86, including tax.  This was charged to my credit card kept on file with Apple.  Helpfully, ITunes provides a handy feature entitled ‘Those who bought your selections also bought’, which lists three items: 4000 (then a bunch of Kanji characters) by Jeff Tang, ZingMp3 – Nghe nhac zing mp3 mien phi tren IPhone/IPod Touch by BUGUN Software and Cliffed XL by IUGO Mobil entertainment Inc.  I’m quite certain that had I actually made the purchase of the two things I was billed for there would have at least been a passing interest in viewing the other selections.

Except, of course, that I had made no such purchase, nor had I authorized anyone else to use my ITunes account or credit card.

This immediately cause a bit of concern.  I have never accessed my ITunes account from anywhere but home, and I’ve got the usual firewall and security software.

I clicked on the useful link http://www.apple.com/support/itunes/store/ because it said that there were answers to frequently asked questions.  Well, it seems that fraud must not be a frequent enough question.  There are no answers guiding you on that page for such a circumstance except the fine print offering you the ability to shop the Apple Online Store.  You see, not actually having made the purchases, I wasn’t even sure if the were music, books, plants, animals or minerals.  So I dutifully called the store and was told by the not-so-helpful person on the other line that I should go to http://expresslane.apple.com and would have the ability to either have an online chat or handle the issue by email.

But first I called the credit card issuer to make sure that they knew this was an unauthorized purchase.  They issued an immediate credit but then told me it may still appear on my next statement.  Huh?  Anyway, we seem to have gotten that resolved so at least the charge could be disputed if it does show up.

So back to Apple.  Remember the ability to have an online chat?  Uh, no.  No such beast.  So I ended up sending an email, hoping that someone would see it in my lifetime.

Well, they did.  Reasonably fast, too.  There was an email from them tonight (Satya was the service rep) apologizing for the inconvenience.  Satya said all the right things, and I was starting to get a warm, fuzzy feeling that all was right with the world.  Except of course for the scum who purchased something on my account in the first place.

Satya said that within 3 to 5 business days a refund for this purchase would be credited to my account.  But the next line caused the hairs on the back of my neck to rise:

“Please note that this is a one-time exception to our sales policy”.

What?  Does that mean if someone hacked into THEIR system and gained access to my account, Apple would be so kind as to give me credit for the first non-authorized purchase?  So by definition I guess that you can go in, get into my account and what the heck, make Ol’ Rick pay for it all.

This is not an open invitation.

So I just sent them an email thanking them, but asking for some clarification on this one-time exception.  Hopefully this is just lost in translation.  But I’ll let you know how seriously Apple takes their security obligations.

New York Politics

OK, a quickie. There was a debate at Hofstra University a few days ago for the gubernatorial candidates for New York. To get the true flavor of the mental midgets we have running for governor this year, here's the link: Governor's Debate
Since it's bedtime and since having 3 beers and a half bottle of wine, I will reserve comment until later. But unless you're from California, you might be surprised at the caliber of people running for this office.
It's a hoot...

And on a completely different topic...

Today feels almost like November 3. Weird. Why is that?

Because there wasn't one call from a telemarketer, survey taker or anyone else exempt from the Do Not Call registry. It's like falling into a parallel universe.

These calls have become the bane of existence for many of us. In some cases, they purport to be an independent survey company (Oh yeah? So why do none of them say 'Hi, I'm from Neilsen? Or JD Power? Or Quinnipiac College?' Hmmm?)

That's because they're shilling for somebody looking for a job.

Turn that around for a second. If you were, say, out of work in a lousy economy (that'll never happen in this country!), do you think you could afford to have a bunch of boiler-room refugees or *Honest - Work from home and get paid gazillions!* former day-traders call numbers at random and beg whoever was unlucky enough to answer the phone to hire you? As Yakov Smirnoff used to say, "What a country!"

So why is this so irritating? After all, isn't that what an answering machine is for?

Well, yes. But. Mixed in with calls from Capio Partners at 903-892-7400 and other lost souls, the phone has turned from a tool for my convenience into a weapon for whoever punches in my number.

I hear stories from time to time about landline use falling away. It's gotten so bad Verizon won't be publishing residential numbers any more. Everyone is wired by the Lt. Uhuru device implanted in their ear like some weird jewelry.

Don't believe it. If it were true, these parasites would find another way to annoy us.

Now, why would I pick on Capio Partners? Simple. They keep calling. And calling. Ad nauseum (A little Latin lingo there for you). Funny thing is, they never, ever have left a message. and on the one occasion where out of sheer meanness I answered the phone, fully intending to blast them with a dog whistle that only they could hear, there was nobody there. That really disappointed me.

So I looked them up one one of my best friends -
Who Called Us. This is a great website, because it validates what you've been muttering to yourself. It's filled with people griping about such callers, sometimes using rather interesting combinations of symbols, words missing letters and good old-fashioned profanity. It's not for the faint of heart.

So what do you do? Populate the box with the number that calls you. Most of the time it's an 800 number or some derivative, and the stories are the same: Robo calls, no answers, people selling stuff, collection agencies.

One thing people will sometimes do is drill into a company (they have more time and patience than I do) a find such interesting things as websites and phone numbers. That's how I found the stuff on Capio Partners.

It turns out that Capio Partners is a collection agency based out of Sherman, Texas (home office is in Georgia, though). Sherman is somewhere in the Dallas area, apparently. Capio Partners seem to specialize in medical dunning. Which is fascinating, because I have excellent health care (no thanks to the current knuckleheads) and owe no medical interest a dime.

And Dallas has a neat thing - a Better Business Bureau that takes web-based complaints. So I'm in the midst of finalizing the subject with BBB.

Interestingly, I've had no calls from Capio since the complaint was filed. Weird how that unknown bill must have evaporated.

Now if we could only get the political calls to do the same.

Life and Death and Parenting

Well, there's a terrific start to a blog.  Something deadly serious.  Sorry, there's no humor in this one.
What I'm about to relate is not a search for sympathy.  Nor is it for anyone to criticize.  You will undoubtedly have strong opinions on some of this, which is fine.  You'll understand later what I mean.
On Tuesday, October 16 at 1:45am my son Michael punched out from his job at a fast food restaurant.  He's 19 and a big boy - about 6'2".  He didn't get that from his stumpy old man.  As luck would have it, that day instead of taking his mother's Hyundai Santa Fe, he took her boyfriend's 1997 Ford Crown Victoria.  That is just the first improbability of the saga.  Mike lives with his mom, about 5 miles from his job.
At 19, you're an inexperienced driver.  That's just the nature of things.  Inexperienced drivers sometimes develop bad habits, such as speeding and hugging the shoulder of the road.  Both of these played a part in the story.
Mike estimated he was driving at least 60-65 miles per in a 55 zone.  As events played out it became apparent that Mike's estimate was, well, most likely inaccurate.
Mike recognized that he was hugging the shoulder of the road and overcompensated by pulling to the left.  This caused him to swerve across the double yellow line.  He saw an oncoming vehicle and again overcompensated to the right, this time losing control as the car left the roadway and headed for a minor ditch.  With the speed more likely in the 80+ range, this caused Mike to completely lose control, allowing the car to roll over.
It's not known how many times the car rolled.  It doesn't matter.  Probably 30 feet from where the car started to roll was a cross street.  Across that cross street stood a telephone and power pole, complete with street light and transformer.  All of a sudden you get the picture of where this is going.
The next day, there was no evidence on the cross street of gouging from the sheet metal on the car.  This leaves only a couple of possibilities: either the car rolled once and was on its wheels, or the car became airborne.
What is clear, though, is that the car slammed into the pole, shearing it off and dropping the transformer to the ground next to the driver's side door.
What had once been a 1997 Crown Vic was now a shattered hulk, its roof completely caved in, the front end jacked at about 45 degrees, the drive train shaped like a 'V'.  As rescuers said, no one should have survived that wreck.
Fortunately, there were two things working in Mike's favor.  The airbags deployed and the seat belt held him in place.
I know the last comment will get civil libertarians up in arms.  I've heard the arguments about seat belts causing bodily injury.  It doesn't matter.  Frankly, that's one of my prouder achievements, instilling the use of seat belts.  It saved his life.
When in a traumatic situation we do some really weird things.  There was a young man across the street who happened to be looking out his window when he saw the accident happen.  He came running across the street to see if there was anyone he could help.  By the time he'd gotten there, Mike had unbuckled the seat belt, unwedged himself from the collapsed interior, stood up and pushed the windshield out.  Mike looked at him and said, "Hey, did you go to my high school"?
Why he didn't get electrocuted when he got out of the car is a mystery.
Then he called his mother and told her that he was sorry, that her boyfriend would need to find another way to get to work.
My wife Darlene and I were visiting our daughter and her family in Raleigh, NC, about 12 hours away.  We got the call around 2:35am, about an hour after we'd gone to bed.  Mike's mom, Cindy, didn't know at first the extent of injury, as she'd just gotten to the scene.  Darlene and I decided to at least continue to rest before driving back to New York.  With one hour of sleep we probably would have had an accident ourselves.  Some time later, Cindy called back and said that Mike appeared to be OK and was talking.  That allowed us to relax some, at least enough to be able to drive back.
Mike's injuries?  A couple of scratches on his arms and a scratched spleen.  Yup, the seat belt probably caused the minor internal injury.  And you know what?  That's fine with us.  Because if he had not been belted in he would have been compacted or split open.  After less than 36 hours in the hospital, Mike was released in fine condition.
Now here's where it may become controversial.  Certainly within my own family there is divisiveness over what allowed Mike to live through this.  But in my own mind, there is no doubt that Divine Intervention was at play.
Cindy has three brothers that are deceased.  She believes that they were watching over Mike.
Our daughters are confirmed atheists (or at least agnostics) and likely do not think there was anything like the Hand of God.
As a recovered agnostic of many years, I have no doubt that the love of God was the deciding factor.  And my wife and I thank Him and praise Him for this blessing.
I don't know what Mike makes of all this yet.  I suspect it will take him some time to come to grips with this.  He says that he is fully aware of his mortality.  Hope so, because the alternative might be that he thinks himself bulletproof.  That would be tragic.  Whether it results in him changing his life is an open question.  One can but wish.
A parent should never outlive their children.  I can think of no greater pain than to lose a child.  Yet there may be degrees of that pain.  I've had a couple of childhood friends die young of cancer, when their parents were alive.  That would be devastating, yet it's hard to think that they didn't realize the probability of it happening.  But to lose a child in an accident must be far worse, because you have no idea it's coming.  I am thankful beyond words that did not happen now.
I thank you for your indulgence in relating this story.
The final thought is this: Please, all of you, wear your seat belts.  Make sure your passengers wear seat belts.  Think about it.  A 100 pound person loose in a vehicle going 50 miles an hour is going to hit whatever is in front of it with a force of roughly 2-1/2 tons.  At least that's my grade school understanding of inertia.  My son-in-law the brilliant guy will probably be able to set me straight on that.  But you absolutely want everyone belted in and every lose object stowed, preferably in the trunk.
Encourage your driving kids to wear their belts.  Death isn't cool.
Here is a video link to youtube for a 6-1/2 minute presentation on this.  Warning: graphic images are included.
Video Warning

A little about me...

There probably isn't anything much to explain.  After years of being a complainer, and having some folks say I write better than I speak, perhaps it's time to give this blogging thing a shot. PLEASE NOTE! That isn't patting myself on the back. It's just that I cannot speak coherently. Writing is a bit better!
Everybody has opinions.  That's one thing that make us human.  An interesting concept, this blogging - you can give incoherence a permanent home in cyberspace.  It doesn't allow for interruptions, either, so you can complete a thought without losing track of where you are.  That'll come in handy!
I'm an official old fart, born in 1953.  Had some bad stuff and some good stuff happen, like everyone.  And I've learned some stuff along the way.  I refuse to grow up, but am enjoying getting older.  I'm much more philosophical now, as most people get - more circumspect, more able to see other sides of an argument.  That's one interesting thing: usually when you get older the tendency is to become more set in your ways.  In some aspects it's true, but in others I find that a) it doesn't matter enough to me or b) your argument actually makes sense.
What will be discussed here?  Probably lots of politics (only because very little of it makes sense).  Music (but only the kinds I like).  Relationships (there's an open field for you).  Aging.  Sports.  Random musings.  Religion.  Values.  And along the way, maybe we'll all learn something.
Why is that?  Because I encourage all readers to leave comments.  Agree, disagree, it doesn't matter.  The only thing I request is that you keep it civil.  No name calling, no slander (unless it's about politicians - they've earned it).  No crudity.  That's one of my strengths, but we'll leave that for elsewhere.
Anyway, welcome to my world.  Hope you pull up a chair and set a spell, yak back and let's have a good time!