Someone To Watch Over Me (Revisited)

The following is a re-edited and expanded version of a post that I did back in April of 2008. On this, the second anniversary of my father's passing, I decided that the subject was worth revisiting. I submit it once more for your consideration...

We sometimes discover faith and inspiration in our lives in the strangest of places. I discovered it once again in my life during a conversation with my mother on nothing initially more interesting or important than lawn care.

Now in order to understand what must seem to you a rather bizarre connection, I must first explain to you that it was on this day in 2007 that my father passed away. His health had been failing for some time; but in spite of the difficulty in attempting to doing so, he liked to take part (or at least to feel that he was taking part) in the maintenance of his home and yard. Such care had always been a source of great joy and pride for him, and he simply refused give up the his interest in it.

When his medical condition had finally reached the point that he was tethered to an oxygen system full time, he was however reluctantly forced to surrender some level of control in this process. By then such care involved my mother trimming the yard around the edges with a self-driven push mower. My nephew Patrick, who had acquired the requisite skills for operation of the riding mower some time since, took on the responsibilities for the bulk of the yard. This system of lawn care had been going on for a couple of years and was by now a well established routine, with my father still participating in a limited supervisory and equipment maintenance role.

Spring followed fall and winter, but came early to Kansas City in the year following his passing; and what had once been the dry and dormant lawns of my parent's neighborhood were quickly blessed with warm weather and rain in 2008. The lawn, unaware and uncaring of the changes in the household, did what it was supposed to do and grew both quickly and luxuriously. Before anyone had quite realized it, this grass was in terrible need of a trim.

Taking the bull by the horns, my mother stepped forward to perform her part of the required labors by trimming around the edges of the yard. Patrick likewise soon appeared to take on his already well-rehearsed role in lawn care. This is where the real story begins.

Now the riding mower had not been run since the leaf pick up of that previous fall, and Patrick was unsure of the proper procedures to get it started after its abbreviated winter slumber, as his grandfather had normally instructed him in such situations. Stymied, he questioned my mother for potential answers to his problem with a potentially stubborn piece of lawn care equipment.

Now my mother is a talented women, but basic lawn mower mechanics has never been a part of those many abilities. The riding mower had in fact always intimidated her, and she had long ago made it quite clear that she wanted nothing to do with it (hence Patrick's responsibilities). It was therefore not surprising that she had no advice to offer him.

In an amazingly short period of time however, the full-throated roar of that mower was heard from the garage, and Patrick was soon after making his way around the yard. He completed his work on the yard that day with remarkable alacrity and departed immediately afterward, without a word to his grandmother before leaving. His hasty departure and lack of communication went without comment at the time. They were however, duly explained a couple of days later when my sister called to fill my mother in on the "rest of the story".

It seems that as Patrick stood in the garage, scratching his head over a solution to his dilemma and completely at a loss as to how to proceed, clearly heard the voice my father from right next to him say, "Pull the choke out and start the mower".

Never questioning it for a moment, he simply did as he was told, and the mower immediately caught. Though a suitable resolution to his problem had been achieved, Patrick was more than a little distressed over how he had reached it. Worried that he might be asked for an explanation and fearing my mother's sensitivity to the issue, he kept silent, working with dispatch and departing as quickly as he was able. It was only some time later in the comfort of home and parents, that he was finally able to relate what had occurred.

Now anyone who knew my father knew that he was never a terribly spiritual person publicly, and was normally unresponsive when questioned about his thoughts on such things. He was however a good husband, a loving parent and grandparent, and most importantly ... a well recognized master of all things technical. There were very few things that he set his mind to repairing or improving in which he was not capable of achieving success (as his many years and recognized expertise in the printing industry showed).

He was also someone who was never afraid to share that mastery of all things mechanical with his spouse and offspring of every generation at every available opportunity (many times without even being asked). It therefore seems only fitting (and hardly surprising), that he should find a way to make his presence felt in such a situation when the need arose.

As for my personal take on the story, knowing my nephew Patrick to be a young gentleman of quality and good character, I choose simply take him at his word. If he believes that it happened this way, then I believe it as well. I am also quite happy and relieved to believe that my father is out there somewhere keeping an eye on the family that he so loved (not that I ever really doubted it).

I for one, can use all of the help that I can get...

TFP Column: Spirit of Competition

Once again this week, I am off on tear regarding the way things are going in this country in the Toledo Free Press (big surprise, huh). This week, I am looking at our President's visit to our trade partners (and creditors) in the Far East with a little piece on "The Spirit of Competition" that you might find worth the effort to read.

This being the weekend of the Michigan / Ohio State football game (order chosen alphabetically and not for any other reason), there is lots to read while prepping for the big game on Saturday.

Of course if you want to know anything about what's really going on in Toledo from the Mayor to the Dog Warden (both much in the news these days), the only place to find it is in the TFP.

Trying Terrorists in NYC

I don't want to make it seem that I am accusing Attorney General Eric Holder of political machinations in attempting to bring accused 9/11 terrorist Khalid Sheik Mohammed and other alleged terrorists to trial in New York City (though in fact I might be), but I can't help but wonder if the nation's top prosecutor sees this as a no-lose situation for both himself and the Administration politically.

If he achieves a guilty verdict in this trial, he can claim that his choices (and that of the Administration) were correct all along and take full credit for a job well done on both the local and world stage.

If he fails to achieve such a verdict in spite of his department's herculean efforts, he can blame the failed result on the treatment and questioning of these accused terrorists under the rules of interrogation sanctioned by the Bush Administration before he went to trial.

In other words ladies and gentlemen: "Heads I win. Tails you lose."

I am sure that such ideas were given little or no consideration by the Administration in the decision to bring these self-avowed warriors of radical Muslim philosophy to trial in civilian court. [sarcasm off]

What may have been given some serious consideration however, is that these trials are likely to captivate the media and the electorate for years to come. They will therefore provide a ready source of fodder for 24 hour cable news networks, political pundits, and high profile out-of-work lawyers who will analyze the coming judicial process in the most minute and annoying detail for all of us. They will likewise provide an abundant source of daily media distractions to a self-styled ruling elite that has already proved itself as savvy as any before it in the legerdemain of day-to-day media managed politics.

I don't want to put a tin foil hat on here people, but I believe that it would be foolish not to consider this decision as yet another tool of distraction for an Administration that has already proven that it has a decidedly Progressive agenda that may well need one from time to time.

Toledo Is #1 In Ohio

The numbers are in and Toledo is the #1 ... worst metropolitan area in creating and sustaining economic growth in Ohio, at least according to the Milken Institute / Greenstreet Real Estate Partners Best Performing Cities Index. Dropping four places in this list from last year's showing of 194, Toledo came in at 198 of the top 200 cities in the 2009 survey, surpassing other Ohio cities: Youngstown (193), Canton (190), Cleveland (186), Dayton (183), and Akron (167) in its failures; in a survey whose numbers were calculated based on job growth and wage and salary levels, as well as other criteria.

No Ohio city was ranked in the top 100 in this survey (though Columbus came in at 108), and in fact only Detroit and Flint, MI ranked worse in the survey conducted nationally every year. (Something to aspire to perhaps?)

Governor Strickland must be very proud to have so many of Ohio's cities near the bottom of the list on this survey. Perhaps the plan to delay the reduction of state income taxes will have an even greater impact on next year's effort and group Ohio cities closer together near the bottom.

Locally one has to be thinking. Our current Mayor, Carlton S. Finkbeiner has been holding press conferences almost every day lately in the hopes of once and for all establishing his legacy of leadership in Toledo. With the release of these numbers, perhaps he has yet another reason to do so, and an accomplishment he can truly call his own ...

It's Not My Party, But I'll Cry If I Want To

Being a Constitutional Conservative leaves one often in a rather lonely place politically. While I have registered with the Libertarian Party as that closest to my thinking, even many of their positions do not come into alignment with my own. This apparently outside-of-the-box positioning however leads me with some things that I would like to say (or more accurately whine) about where political parties are concerned today in the US:

__________

Listen, I have nothing against Democrats and in fact considered myself one in my youth. (Hey, I did grow up in Chicago after all, where being Republican was damned near illegal.) I believe however, that you have been led astray by a well educated, self seeking, power elite that have taken over your party's message.

Where once you were the party of the little guy, trying to make sure that everyone in this country got a fair chance at achieving their piece of the American Dream; you now appear to have been led down an egalitarian path. The focus is no longer on equal opportunity, but on equal results.

Your support of the union member has now evolved into a support of the union leadership. Intent on attacking big business and the bloated rich that you demonize in this country (in spite of the fact that they pay the government's bills), your leadership now appears oblivious to big unions and the bloated fringe interests of environmental concerns and animal rights.

Who in fact is more evil these days, GM or the UAW? (Oh wait, they're the same thing.) Who is more onerous and odorous, Exxon or the Sierra Club? Who cares less about animals than they do about the exercise of power within government, the beef industry or PETA?

The truth of the matter is that any large organization, on either side of a given issue, is prone to egregious influencing and extortion of elected officials. Look around you with unclouded eyes., you may find that you have been led astray.

__________

As for Republicans, I have nothing against you either, and in fact considered myself one in my youth (a bit later on, of course). I believe however, that you have been led astray by a well educated, self seeking, power elite that have taken over your party's message (hmmm, that sounds vaguely familiar).

You have abandoned your core beliefs in fiscal responsibility and small government, choosing instead to become the party of "somewhat less than the Democrats". Once the supporter of Capitalism and a free market-based economy, you now attempt to defend corporate bailouts, increased government handouts, and limited wealth redistribution.

Far from being a party with a clearly defined message, you are now being told by your own leadership to accept ideals and concepts which were previously anathema to your principles in the name of creating a "big tent". Even worse, you allow your party of opposition to define what that big tent should be.

Circuses have big tents my friends, but that doesn't mean that we will vote for the clowns.

__________

Libertarians, you are nearest and dearest to my heart these days; but you have taken the concept of a political party to a level of disorganization that almost reaches an art form. This lack of basic organization skills makes your fund raising difficult and hinders your inclusion on the broader field of American politics. Far from trying to change this however, you glory in the internal anarchy and take pride in your self-imposed fringe status.

In the name of such worthy causes as limited government and the 2nd Amendment, you have seemingly taken under your wing every anti-government cause on the planet. In the hope of increasing your power base, you embrace fringe groups that often scare your staunchest supporters and allow others to demonize the very freedoms that you seek as "wacky".


As a Constitutional Conservative, I simply ask that each of the political parties of this government follow the dictates of the document that defines it and limits its powers. The Constitution, contrary to the belief of some, was not created as an 'organic' document and is not subject to the opinions of either the Executive or Legislative branches of the government or the whims of politicians, as seems far too often to be the case these days. It is the framework that supports the freedoms that protect us, and should be treated with appropriate respect as a consequence.

I ask only that the branches federal government simply follow the guidelines in this document as set out by the Founding Fathers; and if they find them too limiting and wish to in some way change them, that they do so through the Constitutional processes provided rather than through creative interpretation. (For those of you who have not read this document lately, they call these Amendments.)

I truly believe in these dangerous days that none of the political parties (and few individuals except perhaps, some of the more well-informed groups that came out of the Tea Parties) limit themselves to this simple rule-of-thumb, and that makes me rather sad. It's a terrible thing in this country to discover that the elected leaders who took an oath to "preserve, protect, and defend the Constitution of the United States" have mostly abandoned it either through willful neglect or carefully orchestrated deceit.

So I cry out against each of you; Democrat, Republican, and yes even Libertarian as I paraphrase the lyric: "It's not my party, but I'll cry if I want to". And as the line continues from this song from my youth, "You would cry to if it happened to you."

My friends, it is ...


(By the way, did you know that the expression "rule of thumb" came from English common law, wherein a man was allowed to legally beat his wife, so long as the stick used was less thick than his thumb. Perhaps the practice is worth reviving, only this time for use on recalcitrant politicians.)

Happy Birthday Mom

I try not to use my self-appointed position at the Just Blowing Smoke blog for personal reasons any more than current crop of Congressional Democrats use theirs to abuse the American people with onerous and odorous legislation (you can see how wide open that this leaves the field however). The birthday of one's mother however, should be able to be seen by almost anyone as an exception worthy of note. And exception is exactly the word that should be used where this woman is concerned, for the exceptional indeed is the Matriarch of our family.

I don't recall that my siblings and I were not a terribly unruly bunch growing up, but I am sure that we presented our fair share of parental challenges; even to a stay-at-home mom. These were probably made a bit made more interesting for her however by the fact that our father worked nights for the lion's share of our upbringing and traveled extensively afterward, leaving her the keeper of both love and discipline, a position to which she was eminently suited.

This situation also left the lioness protecting the cubs (pun intended) from threats both foreign and domestic, and protect them she did. While some days found her breaking up the natural squabbling (fairly frequent as I remember it) that occur when there are four siblings under the same roof, others saw her wading into a crowd of teenagers far beyond her weight class to restore order to an unruly mob. Some found her acting as referee during the the occasional youthful shouting matches at home, while others saw here performing the same function at her sons' hockey games (though not officially, of course). In the end she gained the respect of those around her in all of these situations, and her advice was always listened to (if they knew what was good for them), and was often heeded (even the refs finally broke down and gave her a striped shirt).

An avid sports fan during her years in Chicago, she expanded her fanatical devotion to the Cubs, Bears, and Blackhawks to include the Chief and the Royals after moving to Kansas City, and later still to the KU Jayhawks. With all of these teams, somehow she is able to keep player rosters, performance levels, personal quirks, and character flaws on each player of every one of those teams straight in her head; with a perfect recollection of detail at the ready.

She does this as well with a family of truly Catholic proportions spread throughout the country. Confronted with a name or a face, she is immediately able to place them by parents, siblings, children of their own, city of residence, and time since last seen. (A trait which she unfortunately somehow failed to pass on, at least to this offspring.) I am always astounded to see relations approach to say hi to "Aunt Sis" (a nickname picked up long ago), never expecting to be recognized or remembered; only to have her reveal minute detail of life to each person, while asking the most exacting questions about their current lives.

So on this day of days, I choose to remember and thank someone who keeps so many of us constantly in her memory. For today Ruth Higgins reaches the all too young age of 80, a number notable for her fulfillment of a promise made long ago to seal her undying loyalty to the Chicago Cubs with a tattoo on her right shoulder (Winnie is smiling mom). The undying loyalty, love, and respect of this son however (and I am sure far more of the clan) are today reserved instead for this woman, who deserves oh so much more than any of us can show her.

Happy Birthday Mom!

And The Progressive Hits Just Keep On Comin'

Having attained the apparently necessary age and self-appointed title of Curmudgeon, one tends to look at things with a cynical eye and a jaded perspective. Most of the things that everyone talks about as being "the latest thing" appear to one in my position of simply being yet another example of "everything old is new again".

Take for example the current Administration and Congress. While there appear to be some firsts seen with this current crop of politicians, much of what they say and do today is little more than ideological retreads.

President Obama claims to be the first African-American president, but did after all have a Caucasian mother. Perhaps that instead makes him the first bi-racial president, though I suspect that other presidents in our history might have had interesting pedigrees. I guess a person can be who they decide they are however.

President Obama is claimed by many of his sychophants to be the greatest uniter as a president since Abraham Lincoln, but Lincoln's election divided this country as it had never been divided before or since. Obama and Lincoln do show a unity of similar views of the federal government though, with both attempting to draw increasing power both to it and to the executive branch.

The latest Congress appears to be a runaway train. Beginning perhaps in the second term of the Bush years, it seems intent on legislating and spending in a way that has embarrassed drunken sailors. They have raised the debt ceiling (a rather curious term, isn't it?) more times than Visa has raised my credit limit in recent years, and to a worse purpose.

Congress has likewise intruded in an ever increasing way in the personal freedoms of the citizens of this country. But we have seen this before in the "New Deal" of the FDR years and the "Great Society" of LBJ. It's not perhaps a change in philosophy that we are shown here, as much as an increase in the scope and scale of the governmental abuse.

Money is hard to come by, and many say that it is the fault of this President and this Congress. Inflation also seems right around the corner, and the worth of a dollar may prove much less very quickly, but this too is not far out of our memory. Any of us old enough to have lived through the Carter Administration remember the gas lines, the double digit prime rates, and the fact that no one could afford to borrow money for anything.

There is a lot of talk about organizations like the United Nations, the G20 and others will exert influence that will lead inevitably to a "World Currency" and a "World Government". We have seen this before as well, with Woodrow Wilson and the attempt to form the League of Nations. Many indeed were crying out over the ceding of our sovereignty then to an organization that we never actually ended up joining.

In truth, there is a commonality to all of these abuses and the thinking that is behind them. Having done a good bit of reading on this recently (some of it horribly boring, let me tell you), I feel that I can state that all of these efforts show a recurring theme of Progressive thinking. This belief in larger and more onerous government control, in egalitarianism through wealth redistribution, and in a ruling elite of those best suited to leading runs through all of this like a recurring melody.

Like the music of Neil Sedaka and Frankie Vali and the Four Seasons (whoops, really dated myself on that reference), Elton John and Billy Joel, or Fergie and Kelly Clarkson; there is a repeating theme to all of it.

We began to see the shape of this music with the passage of the Stimulus Package, the the bailouts, and the most recent budget. We likewise began to see the shape of that which is to come with health care legislation, cap and trade, and the internet fairness doctrine. And though I find this particular form of music abhorrent (much as I feel about rap music), these are not tunes with which I am unfamiliar.

The lyrics change subtly in these Progressive compositions from one generation to the next, and the beat speeds up or slows down as it suits those wishing to dance to the tune of the latest pied piper ... but the Progressive Hits Just Keep On Comin'.

TFP Column: Saving Money By Spending On Trash

Another weekend, another attempt on my part to provide insight and perspective on the events of the week in the Toledo Free Press.

Now I'm not the most knowledgeable person where the solid waste department of the city is concerned. Karen Shanahan has done a number of pieces on her blog on the issue, and Jim Harpen has provided some previous insight in an earlier column in the Toledo Free Press. Some of the recent events surrounding the situation caught my attention however, and I decided to put my two cents in (the only inexpensive investment that has been made it appears).

As you know, I always correctly remind you that there is much more than my limited contribution in the TFP; but this weekend I fear that all reading it will agree with me. Michael Miller has outdone his normally outstanding efforts this week with a special piece that I will not attempt to spoil for you with faint praise. Neither will I specifically mention the many other great articles this week, lest they like I suffer by comparison.

New City Legislation

On Tuesday, City Council stepped forward to pass new legislation to make it illegal to pass a bicycle without a minimum safe passing distance of at least three feet. Councilman Steve Steel sponsored this legislation, stating after its passage that even though it would very soon become law:
- that it was not currently seen as a problem in the city
- that it would be difficult to enforce
- that it would not of much concern to police
- that for the most part, the law would only serve simply on an educational basis (assuming of course that it's not forgotten in the next month).

Perhaps however the real impetus to pass such legislation, much like the rush to pass the texting legislation currently under review, was to allow grandstanding politicians to get ahead of a parade of similar legislation currently under consideration at the state level in so as to appear more caring to voters.

Now some of you may remember that I tried to deal with this law, as well as the previously mentioned local texting while driving ordinance under consideration in my proposed T.O.A.D (Toledo Omnibus Auto / Bicycle texting while Driving) legislation last week. Obviously, I was not only unsuccessful in getting these two pieces of legislative nonsense combined, but equally impotent in getting them thrown down to defeat.

Not to be deterred however, I am seeking to change tactics, seeking a different kind of legislation for Toledo. I now am therefore proposing the Add / Subtract Stupid Laws for Toledo. This legislation, which for simplicity's sake will be dubbed the "ASS Laws for Toledo" will seek to force council to remove one stupid law from the books every time that they add a new stupid law to them.

My hope is that if we cannot prevent City Council from continuing to pass legislation best used as natural plant fertilizer, that we can at least try to maintain a consistent relative volume of such ignorant pronouncements on the legal books of Toledo.

I urge each of you to call or email your district City Council person, and all of the at-large members of council, and urge them to vote for the ASS Laws for Toledo.

Update:

It has been brought to my attention that some people may be offended by the acronym used for the proposed landmark legislation that I have put forward. It appears that the word "ASS" can be considered offensive (possibly by those who feel that they could be considered one themselves). An alternate acronym has therefore been called for, and while I am obviously disappointed after all of the previously expended effort in coming up with this rather clever acronym, in the end I find that the principle of the law itself is more important than the name by which we call it. I have therefore withdrawn any objection to a change.

As a consequence, please feel free to now use D.U.M.B. as the replacement name for this proposed legislation, with this acronym in turn standing for Delete Unnecessary Municipal Bullshit.

Understanding that words do mean things, I have promised to apologize for any offense that might have been caused to members of City Council for the use of what was apparently considered an offensive acronym if any such elected representative of the city will apologize to me for what I consider the even more egregious offense of the idiotic legislation being debated in City Council when they have more important things to do.

Quote of the Day

"It's not that most politicians want to help you, it's that most politicians want to be seen to be helping you."

- me