Fanboy?

I largely abandoned the world of Windows about 5 years ago when I bought a MacBook laptop computer after a nearly new Compaq laptop had it's fourth or fifth hardware failure. Hard drive, optical drive, and several other components managed to break on that not inexpensive Compaq in less than 2 years. We had similar problems with my wife's Dell desktop, and had to deal with Dell's reluctance to stand behind it's product warranty. As an avid computer user for a few decades (dating back to the Commodore 64), I had lots of experience with the Windows/PC "it's not our problem" method of dealing with computer malfunctions. Either the hardware manufacturer (Compaq, Dell, whatever) blamed the erratic behavior on a Windows glitch, or Windows insisted that the problem was rooted in hardware issues. Frustrating, tiresome, and remarkably unfulfilling.

So I bought a Mac. The transition was surprisingly easy and for the very few Windows programs I needed to use (my genealogy program mainly) I could still run it in a Windows virtual machine. When problems occurred, Apple seemed to just fix things, rather than try to blame the problems on another company. Of course, since Apple produced both the hardware and operating system, it had only itself to blame, and what's the point of that?

So the point of this post is that while I have thoroughly enjoyed my Mac, my iPod, and most recently, my iPhone, I don't consider myself an Apple "fanboy."   The term is sometimes used to describe people who are utterly devoted to Apple and its products, even in the face of evidence that they are merely bits of plastic and metal.

Yesterday, I bought a $99 device called an Airport Express.  This thing is amazing. The device is tiny, about 3 x 4 inches and plugs directly into a power outlet. It has three ports, or connections, for USB, ethernet, or audio output. It performs a ridiculous number of functions, from serving as a wi-fi hotspot, hosting a USB printer or external hard drive on a home network, to my purpose and the reason for my rapture.  You can travel with it and use it, for example, in a hotel that offers a wired connection for internet, but not wireless.   Plug in the Airport Express to the wired connection and you have your own wireless network.

We listen to a lot of internet radio. There are thousands and thousands of internet radio stations, mostly free, for any type of music you can think of, from Jazz to electronica to classical (one of our favorites is Radio Paradise). For a long time, we used a desktop computer (the afore-mentioned Dell) to receive the signal and route it to our home stereo system via wires in the wall and attic. During that time, we've had to endure repeated hiccups and failures as the computer froze, spontaneously rebooted, or issues with the wires connecting the computer to the stereo.

The Airport Express connects to our existing home wi-fi network, and uses a $3.99 cable from its audio jack to the stereo amplifier. Now comes the really cool part. Any computer on the home network which runs iTunes can stream music to the Airport Express and therefore, to the stereo. No wires needed. And it works out of the box. Even the windows computer can send internet radio to the stereo with iTunes. And since iTunes is aware of our collection of 7500+ song files, iTunes can also stream them to the stereo. It was so easy to set up and run, it was surprising even to someone predisposed to Apple products. The stuff "just works."

But wait. There's more. Apple also offers a free iPhone app. You know, "there's an app for that." There's an app for this. The iPhone app offers the ability for you to control iTunes from your phone. So if the stereo is in the other side of the house, and you're in the family room listening to music, and the phone rings, you can use the iPhone "Remote" app to pause the music, lower the volume, or just stop the playback. And you can 'link' the iPhone app to any computer connected to your home network that is running iTunes. You can control music or internet radio from any of these computers using your iPhone. It is very slick and "just works."

I just may be an Apple fanboy now. I don't think I've been this excited about a computer since my Commodore 64.

The End of The World?

As a lifelong "baby boomer," I've been accustomed to the notion of "forever young."   Generally, this relates to the idea that inside my body is a young person, personified by me as, say, a 21 year old.   Or maybe 19 year old.   Somewhere around there.   For decades, I've taken in the world around me filtered by my forever-21 eyes.


Something awful has happened.   Recently, an acquaintance has been diagnosed with a form of leukemia and will need some type of bone marrow transplant, and while awful, that's not the point of my post.   A local drive began to sign up people for the bone marrow registry.  You take a swab of your mouth, it's tested for compatibility and if you match someone, you have the opportunity to donate possibly life-saving bone marrow.  I decided to do the testing.


Unfortunately, none of the drive publicity pointed out a flaw in my plan, a most unexpected flaw.   I'm too old.   How could it be that I am too "old" to participate in a bone marrow registry?   How could it be that I am too "old" for anything?   I still crawl around on the floor to play with my grandchildren.   I still ride my bicycle regularly.   What's this too "old" crap?  Sure, I've been an AARP member since they started recruiting 50 year olds, but what's that got to do with it?


Some bureaucrat in the bone marrow registry hierarchy has decided that potential donors must be between 18 and 60 years old.   I'm 2 years late.   I have no idea why 62 year olds are not qualified to donate bone marrow, but the realization that I am too old for anything is truly alarming.  
It must be the end of the world, at least as I know it.  And I'm not so sure I feel fine.

Corporate America Listens?

I am pretty skeptical about most corporate decisions and believe they are generally made in the company's interest, not customers.   So I am less than sympathetic to corporate interests when faced with a choice between them and people.  A lot of companies spend a lot of time and energy these days collecting "surveys" from customers, but it's never clear that anything is actually done with most of it.  Many times you can tell from the way survey questions are presented that the company 1) wants certain responses, 2) isn't really interested in honest feedback, and 3) simply wants customers to feel like their opinions matter.   Some politicians have adopted the same practice to "find out" what voters want.   In reality, these surveys simply tell voters what the politician thinks is the "right way."


I recently was startled to discover a company actually listened to its customers and even reversed a decision the company had previously made.  And, to my knowledge, this wasn't a result of a poll, but of actual feedback received from customers.  


A month or so ago, I received a notification from Discover Card, informing me that they were discontinuing Discover's Secure On-line Account Numbers.   Owners of a Discover Card could log into the Discovercard.com website and generate a credit card number that could be used for a web purchase anywhere Discover cards could be used.   The advantage of this system is that the vendor never sees your real card number so there's no chance of your account being stolen or compromised and the generated account number can only be used once.   So a website that wants you to "sign up" for a recurring service (when all you want is to buy something one time) can't process subsequent purchases against the generated number; it just won't work.   


So for whatever reason, Discover decided to drop this program.   I had used it for almost all online purchasing the past couple of years, so I wasn't happy to receive this news.   I sent Discover an email in which I said that the On-line Account Numbers were the main reason I used the account at all, so I wouldn't be using my Discover Card much in the future.  I figured they'd get the email and hit the delete button.


I was wrong.   A few days ago, I received an email from Discover which announced that they had decided to reinstate the program:

We recently announced the decision to discontinue the Secure Online Account Number feature.
Since then, we've heard customers like you tell us how much they love the added control of usingSecure Online Account Numbers for their online purchases.
Based on the feedback we've decided to reinstate this feature. Beginning today you will once again be able to generate secure online account numbers for online purchases.
We appreciate your loyalty and your feedback. Thank you for using Discover card.

I have to admit I am stunned by the notion that a large financial corporation pays any attention to customer comments.  Even more surprising is that they actually reversed a publicly announced decision, apparently due to those customer comments.    Kudos to Discover Card's management.


At least one piece of corporate America listened.  Who woulda thunk? 

Just What We Need (Not)

Washington Post columnist Michael Gerson has identified yet another reason why Michele  Bachmann is just what we don't need in a national leader: more ignorance.  The latest dust-up is Bachmann's position opposing requiring (or encouraging?) adolescent girls to receive the effective human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine.  The vaccine prevents acquiring HPV and, in turn, vastly reduces the future chances of being stricken with cervical cancer, most of which is caused by HPV.


Instead of even attempting to argue logically against the requirement, Bachmann chose to demonize her opponent (Gov. Perry of Texas, another member of the Republicant brain-trust, NOT), for signing a law requiring the HPV vaccination.   She didn't cite religious reasons, or even some sort of government intrusiveness reasons.   She chose to lump the HPV vaccine in with suspect un-named vaccines that cause "retardation."  She went off the rails and downhill from there.


As those friends of yours who think Bachmann is just what this country needs, why it is that we need more ignorance.

Growing Up

So my grandson Josh started kindergarten last week.   My wife and I have been "baby-sitting" him two days a week since he was a few months old; the other 3 days he attended preschool near his parents' work.  I put "baby-sitting" in quotes because I truly question how much monitoring I've done in the past 5 1/2 years.  More likely, I was learning from him as he discovered the world and observed the strange ways lots of things work.  The transition to kindergarten has been surprisingly hard; for me, not Joshua.

I have lost my favorite playmate and I never saw it coming.   He and I have seen  17 movies in the past year, and perhaps as many as 30 in the past 2 1/2 years.  We both love popcorn and lemonade and movies.  Other activities have included biweekly library visits (where we played chess or checkers on giant boards), building stuff with Legos, miniature golf, attending kid plays, and climbing trees.  Now I'm faced with baby-sitting Joshua's brother twice a week and he's actually a baby (4 months old or thereabouts).  I'm starting all over again.

Anyway, the point of this post is to speculate how Joshua will deal with school demands.  We've speculated that he will do fine, but I've wondered if he will break his teacher by Columbus Day; he can be a very strong-willed fellow.   

I think we got a hint last Friday.  He came home from 3 half-days of school (full days began today) and asked his mother "Mom, will school get harder?"  Before she could respond, Joshua followed up with "'Cause so far it's been arts and crafts..."  That preschool is a tough act to follow.

And I'm going to miss my playmate. 

Vermont Envy

There are a multitude of reasons to envy the State of Vermont, including it's scenery, downhill skiing, and independent tradition.   Lately, I've found another reason; the US Senator from Vermont, Bernie Sanders.

A recent quote from Senator Sanders will demonstrate why I admire the guy and wish we had 30 more of him in the Senate.

“I think it’s very clear that the function of the Republican Party today in congress is to represent the wealthiest people in this country & the largest corporations. They couldn’t care less about the middle-class & working families… the President can not keep trying to compromise with people who do not want to compromise.”

Senator Sanders caucuses with the Democrats in the Senate, but does not belong to a political party and is officially an Independent.  He has had the courage to publicly declare his admiration for "European social democracy" and argues forcefully for the rights of middle-class Americans.


Another of Bernie's recent observations:

"Enough is enough! The American people must fight back. We need a government which represents all people, not just the wealthy, campaign contributors & lobbyists. In these tough times, despair is not an option. This fight is not just for us, it is for our children & grandchildren & for the environmental survival of the planet."

I wish every State had a Senator Sanders.

Throw Them All Out

Over the years I've found politics in general to be fascinating and positive, but in recent years, I've come to the conclusion that something is very wrong with the political process in this country.   Our nation's current inability to adjust the debt ceiling, the latest of a long series of governmental paralyses, is truly frustrating and apparently never-ending.

The people who are arguing ad nauseum in Washington, D.C. over how to raise the debt limit, have one thing in common with the politicians who find ways to also justify their personal peccadilloes.  Like Congressman Joe Walsh (no relation to the great Eagles guitarist) who has been ranting and raving that President Obama is a "liar" and that there are lots of ways to fund the government's programs without raising the debt limit.  He has accused the "other" party of mismanaging the economy and recklessly spending our money.  He was elected by about 300 votes in 2010.

Now we have news that the Congressman is arrears more than $100,000 to his ex-wife for child support.  He has dismissed the reports as a political hatchet job, but the court records and extensive "negotiating" with his ex-wife, as well as other reported financial problems he seems to have had, tend to lead me to the conclusion that he is just another politician who is a hypocrite and hack.

I've come to believe that the major cause of our political paralysis is because so many (all?) of our politicians and so-called "leaders" are egomaniacs convinced that they have all the answers.  This world-view means that they are unable to even consider that someone else might have some insight on a particular subject and that it would be in the national interest to actually negotiate with them to reach a compromise.   In fact, the very notion of a compromise is anathema to them.  To reach a compromise is admit they didn't have all the answers.

And this is why we have the Speaker of the House walking out of discussions with the President and frantically trying to pull his House majority together, including the Tea Party zealots, to make a symbolic, but meaningless (because it has no chance of passing the Senate), effort to raise the debt ceiling by further debilitating the middle class.  The Republicant Party has sold itself to the Tea Party egomaniacs and corporate interests and can't reach out to actually negotiate. 

While I think the Republicant Party has made egomania and hypocrisy an art form, politicians of both major political parties seem to believe they are the font of all knowledge.  We need to throw them all out.

These are very scary times we live in. 

The Legacy of the "Great Stone Face"

If you are of a "certain age," you probably remember what you were doing every, and I mean EVERY, Sunday night back in the 1950s and 1960s.   You were camped out with the rest of your family in front of your Crosley, Sylvania, or Zenith television watching the same show as everyone else you knew.   The Ed Sullivan Show.   It was the mother of all variety shows, a genre which doesn't exist on TV these days, even with (or because of) the 500+ channels many of us can access via cable or satellite.   It was a genre that included comedians, musicians, and what always seemed to me to be leftover vaudeville acts.   And when I say leftover, I'm not using the term in a negative manner at all.  

A recent article in the Trib described the Ed Sullivan Show on the 40th anniversary of the show's cancellation back in 1971.  It's nearly impossible to describe to a person born after 1971 how big the Sullivan show was, but here's a comparison to today's big pop TV shows:

"American Idol" draws about 30 million viewers for its grand-finale shows, whereas Sullivan attracted some 40 million viewers nearly every Sunday night for two decades — when the country had half as many people as it does now.

In the article, Gerald Nachman says that the show today is remembered for two of its "10,000 acts":  the American debut of the Beatles and Elvis Presley's scandalizing hip gyrations.  I don't agree with that assessment.   I'll bet that if you were watching TV when the Ed Sullivan Show was airing, you remember two other acts: Topo Gigio, and that guy who spun multiple pie plates on long poles.  Who could forget the "little Italian mouse?"  And what about Senor Wences?!

That said, Nachman discusses in detail that Sullivan's greatest legacy was his relentless efforts to introduce black entertainers to the wider viewing public, acts like The Supremes, Sam Cooke, and a very young Richard Pryor.   

The show was truly a remarkable trend setter and brought countless hours of entertainment right into our living rooms every week.  The Trib article is well worth the 10 minutes to read it.

I miss variety television shows.   But you probably figured that out already.

From The Mouths of

So my grandson came over this morning a little later than normal.   Usually, he comes over before I'm even out of bed and my wife takes care of breakfast.   Today, it was just us two guys.

So, Josh tells me all about the fantastic "double chocolate" doughnut his parents had gotten him this morning when they were dropping off Dad at work.  His mom had one also.

Anyway, I'm getting my breakfast ready and chatting with Josh, and I'm almost ready to sit down with my bowl of cereal.  Josh is watching everything and finally says, "So Pop-pop, that doughnut was just to hold me over."

I looked at him and didn't immediately understand what he was saying.   So, I say "OK."  Joshua, who long ago realized his grandfather was not the sharpest knife in the drawer, repeats: "Pop-pop, the doughnut was just to hold me over."  My son also used the explanatory technique of repeating the exact same words when I didn't understand his question or explanation.  It generally didn't help.

Anyway, I finally realize what's going on.   "Josh, you mean you didn't have breakfast at home?"  His face noticeably relaxed and he nodded.   Suffice it to say, I asked what he'd like, we got his breakfast prepared (he chose rice krispies, with milk) and all was well. 

It's a very good thing Josh and I are so simpatico.   Neither of us stands on any formalities and we just like hanging out together.   I could easily have him remain 5 1/2 for a long, long time.

Remind me to tell you about the quest for free air to inflate my Mustang tires (that was after breakfast).   He shared some choice words of wisdom for me that I should probably heed.  But not today.

The More Things Change

The more things change, the more they stay the same.

The older I get, the more often I feel that I'm in some sort of time warp, in which events of today seem to be reflections of events that occurred in my younger days.   In today's topic, the current events mirror some even older events, namely the anti-labor rhetoric and demonizing that led up to the "Haymarket Riot" in Chicago, back in 1886.  Just as it is today, the labor union movement in the 1880s was under attack and made the scapegoat for the nation's economic problems.   The effect of Haymarket and the resultant trials and hangings, was a setback to labor organization and development in this country for decades.   Then, workers were struggling to form unions; now workers are struggling to keep them.  Haymarket became the focus of May Day memorials around the world, but hardly at all in this country.  

All of this is described in detail in a timely article in the Chicago Tribune which can be found here.  We need to ensure that today's workers know what happened in Chicago in 1886 and how it relates to their lives today.   Because it surely does relate to today.

Words To Live By

A friend recently sent me an email with the pithy and wise rules for living, written by Regina Brett, who has written for a number of Ohio newspapers over the years.   The email says she "recently" turned 90, but in fact, that part of the email is wrong.   She turned 50 in 2006, and republished her list of 45 rules with an additional 5.  You can see them above, or right here!  Hope you enjoy it.

1. Life isn't fair, but it's still good.
2. When in doubt, just take the next small step.
3. Life is too short to waste time hating anyone.
4. Don't take yourself so seriously. No one else does.
5. Pay off your credit cards every month.
6. You don't have to win every argument. Agree to disagree.
7. Cry with someone. It's more healing than crying alone.
8. It's OK to get angry with God. He can take it.
9. Save for retirement starting with your first paycheck.
10. When it comes to chocolate, resistance is futile.
11. Make peace with your past so it won't screw up the present.
12. It's OK to let your children see you cry.
13. Don't compare your life to others'. You have no idea what their journey is all about.
14. If a relationship has to be a secret, you shouldn't be in it.
15. Everything can change in the blink of an eye. But don't worry; God never blinks.
16. Life is too short for long pity parties. Get busy living, or get busy dying.
17. You can get through anything if you stay put in today.
18. A writer writes. If you want to be a writer, write.
19. It's never too late to have a happy childhood. But the second one is up to you and no one else.
20. When it comes to going after what you love in life, don't take no for an answer.
21. Burn the candles, use the nice sheets, wear the fancy lingerie. Don't save it for a special occasion. Today is special.
22. Over-prepare, then go with the flow.
23. Be eccentric now. Don't wait for old age to wear purple.
24. The most important sex organ is the brain.
25. No one is in charge of your happiness except you.
26. Frame every so-called disaster with these words: "In five years, will this matter?"
27. Always choose life.
28. Forgive everyone everything.
29. What other people think of you is none of your business.
30. Time heals almost everything. Give time time.
31. However good or bad a situation is, it will change.
32. Your job won't take care of you when you are sick. Your friends will. Stay in touch.
33. Believe in miracles.
34. God loves you because of who God is, not because of anything you did or didn't do.
35. Whatever doesn't kill you really does make you stronger.
36. Growing old beats the alternative - dying young.
37. Your children get only one childhood. Make it memorable.
38. Read the Psalms. They cover every human emotion.
39. Get outside every day. Miracles are waiting everywhere.
40. If we all threw our problems in a pile and saw everyone else's, we'd grab ours back.
41. Don't audit life. Show up and make the most of it now.
42. Get rid of anything that isn't useful, beautiful or joyful.
43. All that truly matters in the end is that you loved.
44. Envy is a waste of time. You already have all you need.
45. The best is yet to come.
46. No matter how you feel, get up, dress up and show up.
47. Take a deep breath. It calms the mind.
48. If you don't ask, you don't get.
49. Yield.
50. Life isn't tied with a bow, but it's still a gift.

Who Needs A Brain?

I like this quote so much I put it on my list of favorite quotes (scroll down toward the bottom of the blog) as well as here:

“Let’s say that she’s 90 percent [recovered]. Well, we’ve had congressmen in Arizona who didn’t even have a brain. So, it’s not like you have to be as talented as she is to be good at it.” Mike McNulty, Rep. Gabrielle Giffords' last campaign manager on her viability to run for Sen. Kyl's Senate seat in Arizona (Newsweek, 4/10/11) 

Making A Move?

The other day, I heard a sports report that made a comment that truly befuddled me.   I don't play golf, and the comment was about a round of the US Open that was going on this week-end.   My lack of experience in the game may be at least partly why the comment confused me.

The report said something to the effect of so-and-so was holding a one stroke lead as the round began and that the other leading players were now going to "make their moves."   The comment made no sense to me in the context of golf.   What were the other competitors going to do, stop playing badly?  

How does one "make a move" in golf?   I mean, it's not like car racing, where a driver can stomp on the gas and slip around another car.   Or even yacht racing, where a competitor can do some magical thing with the sails that allows the yacht to gain speed.   In other individual sports, you don't often hear of someone "making his move" to overtake a leader.   Tennis?

So how does one "make a move" in golf?  Stop landing in traps and water hazards?   It's not like anyone lands in those places on purpose in the first place...

Spring/Summer Has Sprung

Chicagoans don't normally actually get much of a Spring; we generally stumble out of Winter into Summer sometime between March and June.   This is one of those years in which we don't seem to be getting many days with sun and temperatures in the 50s or 60s.   We are lurching from cold and wet days directly to 70s and 80s...

At any rate, today was both sunny and warm, so I was able to take my first bicycle ride of the year.   It was pretty exciting to leave the stationary bike behind and get outside for my ride.  

However, I did come to the realization that the stationary bike has at least one advantage over the traditional two-wheeler:  it never causes me to contend with a 20 mph headwind.  And a 20 mph headwind is a very stiff breeze on a bicycle.   I think I got a significantly more strenuous workout today than yesterday....  Which is not a bad thing!

Gasoline Coupon

As the average price of gasoline in the US edges over $4/gallon, Americans are beginning cast about for ways to deal with it.  One of those ways, is engaging in what some might call "gallows humor."   The following was sent to me by a friend as an email.  I don't know if the email will translate well to a blog post, but I found it to be pretty darn funny and wanted to share it.  The biggest alteration is that in the email, you had to scroll down quite a bit to see the coupon...

Gasoline Coupon

I didn't realize it, but these coupons are good for one gallon of gas at most retailers.  I have seen them around, but until recently never took advantage of them, I never realized their actual worth.

You probably have one or two just lying around somewhere; now is the time to use them before they lose their value, and it's too late!!


SEE COUPON BELOW...

For Those In Northern Climes

Have no fear, winter is soon to end.   Spring is just around the corner...

 

A Simple Proposal

Terry Newell, Founder, Leadership for a Responsible Society, recently made what he called a "simple proposal" to address two problems with the current public appetite with budget cutting.  The first problem:  Americans have very inaccurate understandings of what their government currently spends money on.

For example, almost three-fourths of Americans in a 2010 Zogby Poll think we spend 6% or more of the federal budget on foreign aid. More than a third think we spend 11% or more. We actually spend about 1%. Needless to say, cutting foreign aid -- often the most popular choice of Americans to fix the budget, wouldn't make the dent in the deficit we might think.

The second problem is that a depressing number of Americans don't understand how they personally benefit from Federal spending and tax policies.   A simple example:

... 60% of those who claim the mortgage-interest deduction report that they "have not used a government social program." Percentages for student loans (53.3%), social security (44.1%) and Medicare (39.8%), to cite three other examples, highlight the fact that those who attack "social spending" are attacking their own benefits in many cases.

Newell proposes a "simple solution."   He suggests that the government issue an annual report to each citizen which sets out in two pages how Federal money was spent in the past year and how those funds applied to that citizen.   Much of the data can be culled from everyone's tax return, and other data is already in government computers.   His idea is very similar to the one proposed last year by the The Third Way, a think tank, about which I blogged last October.  It also relates to another post from April of 2010 which contained a long list of government programs and benefits which many people use, but don't often think about when demanding cuts to all those "socialist entitlements" that other people get.

Either proposal would go a long way to counter the current uninformed budget cutting fever, which is based on ignorance, rather than intelligent debate.

Democracy For All! Except...

The ability of a people to control their own destiny, generally includes the right to band together for mutual support and assistance.   Like forming a union to bargain for employment rights.  Or demanding a dictator leave the country.  The 'crisis du jour' among the Republicants this year seems to be blaming the current economic disaster on the middle class and public employee unions, rather than the riverboat gambler bankers of Wall Street.

So it's interesting to view what's going on in the Middle East side by side with what's going on in a number of States  (Wisconsin, Indiana, Ohio) around this country regarding the efforts to strip collective bargaining rights from public employees.  This effort purports to be for the purpose of needing to "balance the State budget."   In fact, union contracts for public employees have nothing to do with State budget imbalances, which are mostly caused by the current economy and the collapse of tax revenues.

It's ironic that the nation is hand-wringing over the poor demonstrators across the middle East who are oppressed by those nasty dictators, while the democratic process is being defiled around this country by zealots bent on destroying the ability of employees to band together for their benefit and protection.   Hypocritical to say the least.

Cartoon by Clay Bennett of the Chattanooga Times

 

Whose Cookie Is That?

So it's been suggested to me that I should lighten up my blog posts a bit, despite the fact that they my blog was intended to be curmudgeonly from the outset.   However, I will try to lighten things up with....a joke.

A CEO, a Tea Party member, and a union representative sit at a table. 

There is a plate with 12 cookies. 

The CEO takes 11, turns to the Tea Party member, and says, 'Look out! That union guy wants your cookie!'

What?   You're not laughing?  OK, so it's not a major side-splitter, but it is a joke. That's my story and I'm sticking to it. 

What Do You Expect?

I am a big supporter of public education and always have been.   I've been an elected public school Board of Education member since 1988 and graduated from public elementary and secondary schools.   Most public schools are not nearly as ineffective as some politicians would have us believe, although there is certainly room for improvement.   I've long campaigned for better funding sources for schools and a move away from the centuries old property tax system used in the U.S. to fund schools.   But money isn't the only thing we need to fix in schools.

I think the most important aspect of education that needs to be addressed is our expectations; what do we expect the schools to accomplish?  Every year, State legislatures generate a host of new objectives for schools to achieve, ranging from studying a particular subject (Lupus education), observing "Emancipation Proclamation Week," establish "diabetes care plans" for students, and requiring certain sex education courses to teach pupils about the dangers associated with drug and alcohol consumption during pregnancy. This is a very short list of recent legislative changes in Illinois.  Whether these goals are laudable is not the point.   Some legislative educational mandates are somewhat silly, but that's not the point either.  Rather, the common thread is that a hugely wide variety of social objectives find their way into a finite school day.  For every item added to the curriculum, something else disappears.

Therein lies the problem; public education seems to be focused on social issues and goals, at the expense of education.  Society expects our public schools to teach kids everything, including things that parents should be addressing or very narrowly defined topics of study.  Is it really necessary to formally require instruction on specific diseases in elementary/secondary schools?  


In a recent Marketplace article, educator Michelle Rhee points out that operating schools based on social goals rather than, economic objectives, results in one very large problem whenever the economy sours.  

(In America w)e see education as a social issue, not an economic one. And what happens to social issues in times of economic hardship? They get swept under the rug.

Joining those social issues underneath the rug, are our educational system support and issues.

Ms. Rhee suggests that we are not honest with our children about their abilities and accomplishments, and instead flood them with trophies, ribbons, and other confirmations that whatever they've done, it meets expectations.   Even if it's pretty mediocre performance.   

I think she's right, and it's not limited to sports.  Just look at all the "reality" TV shows to which many Americans are apparently addicted.   Many, if not most, glorify mediocre so-called "accomplishments" and behaviors.  Is that all we expect from people, including our kids?  Is that why the talking heads seem to think we all want a person "just like us" to be leader of the U.S.?   Let's be honest about this expectation also.  I want someone "smarter than the average bear" to lead the nation.

Rhee proposes we change from this culture of complacency:

In Korea, they have this culture that focuses on always becoming better. Students are ranked one through 40 in their class and everyone knows where they stand. The adults are honest with kids about what they're not good at and how far they have to go until they are number one. Can you imagine if we suggested anything close to that here? There would be anarchy.

Maybe we could use a little anarchy in this country.

Not A Warm Fuzzy Feeling

It's interesting that we can hardly find products to buy in this country that are made here, but the tear gas canisters found on the street in Cairo say "Made in USA." No wonder much of the world distrusts us, at best.

Widely reported, see here.

Broadcast Noise

I understand that the fans play an important role at athletic events, like football and hockey games. I understand that the crowd noise can be an advantage to the home team. However, if I haven't shelled out $150 or more to see a game in person, and I'm watching it at home on TV, is it really necessary for the broadcaster to deliver all the crowd noise to my home?

I think not. If I happen to attend a game, I can bring ear plugs. If I'm at home attempting to follow the game on TV, I'm finding I can hardly hear the play by play announcers over the crowd's "white noise." It's not very enjoyable. Why can't broadcasters filter out some of the noise?

In a similar vein, is it necessary for TV shows and movies to have the background music no longer in the background? That is, why does the music so often drown out the actors?

Banks and Profits

In this recent (12/16/10) story on Marketplace, we learned that the Federal Reserve is proposing to cap fees that banks can charge retailers for purchases made with debit cards.  In the current system, retailers are charged 2% per transaction for purchases we make with debit cards, with no limit on the fee.   If you buy something for $1, the fee is about 2 cents.   If you buy something for $100, the bank collects $2, and for a $500 purchase, the bank hauls in $10.  These fees are paid by the retailer, but the cost is undoubtedly factored into the prices the retailer charges customers.

The banking industry response (via Scott Talbot, chief lobbyist for an industry trade association) to the proposal is to threaten to make up the lost profits in other ways:

As the banks that are involved in the transaction are unable to recoup their costs for operating this service and allowing merchants to accept debit cards, we're worried that those costs will be shifted down to the consumers.
He says some debit cards may soon charge annual fees. Others may charge a fee for each debit card transaction.

So Mr. Talbot says that with a cap on the fees, banks will be "unable to recoup their costs."  Most of these transactions are electronic, so is Talbot implying that the transaction costs change for a $1 purchase vs. a $100 purchase?  If so, I'd love to hear more about how that works.  If not, and I suspect that it does not, Talbot and his banks can whine somewhere else about how they're going to continue to fund their multimillion dollar bonuses and unconscionable profits.  

Every few years, banks go through cycles in which they decide that the small balance accounts are not generating enough profit and those customers lose their free accounts.  These less profitable customers are simply forced out of the bank to find banking services elsewhere.  Threatening that banks will start raising other fees doesn't impress me.  They've already done that in response to the financial reform law last year.

Banks (mostly) have no loyalty to customers, so we customers will gladly take our business elsewhere when they start charging annual fees for debit cards.

A Lesson Never Learned

Time after time, Americans experience tragic shootings in which dozens of people are killed by gun violence.  Time after time, we have "memorial" services and "pray" for some intangible "peace."   Time after time, we are confronted with another shooting and we still do nothing to stop the madness.  

Cartoonist RJ Matson captures the process:

Murders In Arizona

The State that prides itself in having citizens routinely carrying loaded weapons around, experienced multiple murders today at a shopping center.  The target was Congresswoman Gabrielle Gifford, who was critically injured, while several others, including a 9 year old girl and a Federal judge, were killed.   The NY Times, as well as every other newspaper in the country, has a detailed report.  It contains a rather remarkable comment by the Tucson Sheriff, on a possible cause for the shootings.  As reported by numerous outlets, including the Huffington Post, Sheriff Dupnik told reporters:

"When you look at unbalanced people, how they respond to the vitriol that comes out of certain mouths about tearing down the government. The anger, the hatred, the bigotry that goes on in this country is getting to be outrageous," said the sheriff. "And unfortunately, Arizona I think has become sort of the capital. We have become the mecca for prejudice and bigotry... All I can tell you is that there's reason to believe is that this individual may have a mental issue. And I think that people who are unbalanced are especially susceptible to vitriol."

Well said, Sheriff, well said.

Filibuster Reform - Again

Reform of the US Senate's filibuster is back on the "to-do" list for the Senate (see my 10/5/10 post on this topic). While still holding a majority in that House of Congress, Democrats need to do something strong to reduce the Party of No's (PON) frequent use of this technique to stall debate and action in the Senate.  See my list of filibuster votes near the bottom of this page.

Some Democrats are attempting to change the rules to more closely follow the original filibuster procedure, which required the person blocking some action to hold the floor of the Senate and talk, for hours or days if needed. Under current rules, the filibuster can be invoked by merely threatening to block action. The Credo Action lobbying group provides examples of how this technique was used in recent years:

The filibuster is why health care reform didn't contain a public health care option similar to Medicare; it's why no meaningful climate legislation was passed; why even non-controversial judges were denied confirmation despite a crisis in the judiciary; and why even the bipartisan DREAM Act wasn't even brought to the floor.

The proposed changes are not perfect, but they're a step in the right direction.

Sens. Udall, Merkley and Harkin have proposed a number of provisions to limit the ability of the Republicans to game the rules and bring the Senate to a grinding halt. Their proposal includes:

1. Making those who filibuster actually stay on the floor and talk, like Jimmy Stewart in the famous scene of Mr. Smith Goes to Washington.
2. Reducing the opportunities to filibuster
3. Expediting the nominations process for relatively uncontroversial nominees
4. Eliminating secret holds

For whatever good online petitions do, this one is worthwhile. Anyone who believes in the democratic process should support this effort.