FOR AULD LANG SYNE

Here we are on the cusp of the New Year. I hope it's better for all of us.

My wife is recovering well from her shunt surgery of last summer and is the woman I married again. Of course we are both older and can't do the things we once did, and you just have to learn to accept that, but, damn, sometimes it's tough.

I am holding togaether and hope I am through with skin cancers . Eight this past year, including two melanomas, is quite enough. I also have a problem with my right hand which is heavily bruised, the result of atrophy of the tendons around the thumb which seem to have lost strength to some extent. I will see a neurologist shortly to see what to do, recommended by my internist. I'll see the same neurologist my wife saw---a good guy and a straight shooter.

But we're here and still enjoying life, that's the important thing.

Happy New Year to all. We still have a daughter and son-in-law with us for New Year's and my wife's sister and husband from England, so we'll quietly celebrate. My youngest daughter, husband and two boys went home yesterday; another daughter and granddaughter leave tomorrow. It's been a great holiday.

NO SIMPLE SOLUTIONS

Mpst of my kids and grandchildren are here for Christmas, as usual.  My wife and I consider them a  blessing,  even if the decibel level of the house increased about 75%. How lucky we are to have them. Imagine how difficult Christmas will be in Newtown CT this year and count your proverbial blessings.

I watched the N.R.A. news conference and their Executive V.P., Wayne LaPierre, who runs the show. The N.R.A. solution was simple---and simplistic: Just put an armed guard in all our schools. I know this can help in places where schools are located in dangerous crime-filled neighborhoods, but I find it difficult to accept this as a panacea for our problems. After we put armed guards in all the schools. do we then put them in every movie theatre and auditorium? Most big sporting events have plenty of security, but should we have armed guard at every football, basketball or baseball game? It just won't solve all the problems. Yes, increase security in dangerous areas, but with more guns we cannot cover every possible contingency to prevent some lunatic from creating mayhem and murder. I don't want to see America become an armed camp.

More thorough psychological screening is still number one in my book. I read where there are gaps and incomplete or missing  information in the F.B.I.'s database.  Start again. Rebuild this database so that the country is covered by thorough investigation of backgrounds to ensure that only the sane and responsible have guns and so that it is a punishable jailtime crime to hide guns or lie about possession.

As I said in an earlier blog, mandate from the Federal government that a panel of experts from N.R.A., police and military, psychologists and sociologists---a true crosssection of people talented enough to confront the problems and come up with some positive plans to decrease arms and keep arms out of the wrong hands.  Nothing is perfect, but surely we can put some good heads to face this dilemma and come up with a course of action.

Anything is better than what we have...

ANOTHER CHRISTMAS WISH LIST

I was listening to the car radio today and heard, as one frequently would this time of year, one of my holiday favorites: "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas", that plaintive, melancholy but haunting song written during the war when so many young men and women were overseas fighting WW II, Judy Garland, one of the greatest singers ever (except in her final years when booze and drugs were making her a cariacture of herself) made it famous. I didn't think anyone could equal her rendition---but James Taylor comes closest, treating it with reverence and simplcity. That's the one I heard today.

All of which leads me to some holiday wishes:

(1) May all of you have happy holidays and a better 2013;

(2) May Newtown CT find some solace in prayer and national good wishes at this tragic time;

(3)  May John Boehner and Mitch McConnell remove their heads from an unpleasant portion of their mid-anatomy in time to work out a fiscal compromise;

(4)   May Barack Obama show the kind of leadership and vision needed in these trying times and guide us to better days, especially in his lame duck second term with nothing to lose;

(5) May we disengage with some semblance of honor, if not hope, from much of our war zones;

(6)  May we use our good offices to press for peace in the Middle East without painting ourselves into inextricable corners;

(7)  May the N.R.A. also remove their heads from the same unpleasant place and do something constructive for proper gun laws and psychological testing and quit treating the Second Amendment as if it came down from the mountain with Moses;

(8)  May the N.C.A.A. and the N.F.L. do something for the betterment of sports and not be simply motivated by greed;

(9)  May American industry regain preeminence, especially the auto industry;

(10) May we finally put emphasis on job stimulus, especailly by repairing our long-neglected infrastructures.

Keep adding to the list. I don't want to be too greedy. Smell the roses, enjoy your families and show some love. God bless you all.

WE'VE HAD ENOUGH

What can you say that has not already been said about the horrific tragedy in Newtown CT? The president, obviously deeply moved and fighting back tears, expressed the sense of grief, frustration and desolation we all feel. He also called for “meaningful action” in gun control.


How many times have we heard that phrase “meaningful action”, or its equivalent, expressed by politicians after senseless gun tragedies? How long do we have to listen to politicians of all stripes decrying the plethora of guns and the tragedies that result? When are we truly going to interpret the Second Amendment properly and realize that the right to bear arms was for defense of person and country and not a wholesale invitation to maintain an arsenal? I’m sure our forefathers would blanch at the spate of massacres that have occurred in 2012 and shake their heads at the number of weapons, equivalent to one for every member of our population.

How many more times will we have to listen to the N.R.A. and their cant that it is people who kill, not guns? Of course that’s true---but we don’t have to make it easy for them by an overabundance of weapons. On one of the talking head shows last night, one of the N.R.A. types stated that, if teachers were allowed to have guns, many lives could have been saved. My God, can you imagine that scene, inside Sandyhook School, if we had teachers firing weapons in the heat of the moment. How many more would have died?

I’m a former hunter who owned shotguns. I enjoyed riflery and target shooting as a kid at camp. I was an Expert Rifleman in the Army. I was a bird hunter. I know many responsible people who understand guns and their proper use; for example, one of my sons-in-law owns many guns (which he keeps locked in a safe) and is an avid and expert hunter. I am not anti-gun. I am, however, against the quantity of guns out there which can fall into the wrong hands.

O.K., you say, but what do we do about all the unlicensed weapons illegally bought or stolen out there? There is no foolproof scheme to combat illegal weapons, but we should make a unified effort in every community and county to register guns. It needs to be a national law and a criminal offense not to register guns. We have laws to do this, but they must be enforced on a national basis with strict punishment including jail time.

Assault weapons should be banned for private use except at licensed clubs where they can be securely kept and available only for firing at that club. They have no part in hunting. Hunting is a sport: hunter against the hunted. It isn’t sport to fire an assault weapon at one hundred rounds a minute at an animal.

Most obvious of all, we have got to devise a better method of screening those who have guns. Too many psychopaths have access to weapons. In order to get a gun, you should be subjected to psychological testing to determine if you are fit to have a gun. Maybe this is too much Big Brother controlling our lives. But that’s the point---it is our lives.

The N.R.A., other gun enthusiasts, psychologists and others should form a panel of experts appointed by the Federal government to talk to each other---no shouting, no clichés and posturing---and seriously work to find a plan to limit the gun problem. I’m tired to death of America being a symbol to the rest of the world of chaos run amok. Yes, it happens in other places---look at Norway—but it happens here more frequently because, simply, there are too many guns and too few effective controls.

It must change.

THE CAR THAT ISN'T

I read the other day that Ford is contemplating dropping the Lincoln. They have tried to gussy the Lincoln up in recent years, but it just cannot compete with the big luxury boys, the BMWs, Audis, Mercedes. Lexus, Acura (they're having problems, too) and Cadillac. it just comes off as a poor cousin, somewhat shabby and not quite with it. it's a pity, because the major auto companies need a jewel in their crown. Ford tried it with Jaguar but poured tons of money down the drain and figured, during their financial crisis days, to unload it. I think the Indian owner, TaTa Industries, a labyrinthian conglomerate which is into everything from vast real estate holdings to Eight O'Clock coffee, is doing pretty well with Jag.

I remember as a kid when we had a couple of luxurious Lincolns. One, sometime in the mid thirties, was a light green sedan with those great old-fashioned white sidewalls. But the one I really loved was the first Lincoln Zephyr ever produced in 1940, a sleek aerodynamic marvel in navy whose lines would look good even today. It was smooth as silk and very responsive. Of course, I was too young to drive then, hard as that may be for some of you to believe, but my Dad loved to floor it and see it instantly respond. One time he and I were on a country road and he took it up to about 120 mph, much to my delight.

It was a great car, but the world has changed, Lincoln, I'm afraid, is not a survivor.

HURRY UP, COLLEGE FOOTBALL PLAYOFFS

The B.C.S. ratings are out and, for once, I think we can mostly agree that the top two teams are playing for the National championship. The big money boys and high rollers must be rubbing their hands at the bonanza of two of the highest profile colleges fighting it out. Notre Dame and Alabama have the right ring to it: long traditions, star players, reknowned coaches and the Catholics vs. the Confederates!

We are just plain lucky this year. The championship will be a true #1 and #2. (Ohio State players are being unfairly penalized for actions beyond their control and had a great season, but I do believe they are, maybe, #3.)  But I can't wait until we have a proper playoff so that six or eight of the best teams can duke it out.  Of course, everything the N.C.A.A. touches turns not only to gold but to crap, and I hope they don't screw this playoff up in the near future, like 2014.

Why is it that the power organizations manage to tarnish everything they touch? The N.C.A.A. and the N.F.L. deserve each other. I'm not naive enough to believe that these organizations built "for the betterment of the game" are anything but greed machiines intended to extract every ounce of money out of every possible game. Concern for the players---that's a laugh. Of course college presidents rub their hands with glee at the opportunity to get their hands on some of the bowl game loot, while those altruists in the N.F.L. dream up new ways to maximize playing time and pontificate about lessening injuries. Football, college or pro, is now truly big---no, actually mega--- business.

I bitch, but I'll be watching.  But I look forward to those proper playoffs in the future.

THE NEWER KID ON THE BLOCK

“I’d rather flunk my Wasserman test
 than read a poem by Edgar Guest.”

                                 Ogden Nash

That is one of my pet lines from Nash, the master of light and satirical verse, as well as a fine lyricist.

I have my own version: I’d rather flunk my Wasserman test---
                                    than shop at WalMart’s best.

I read an article today on AOL online, describing Costco as the Anti-Walmart, and, boy, can I relate to that. I love shopping at Costco. I’ll try to avoid it on Christmas Eve, but the rest of the time, even during crowded tourist season here in sunny Florida, I like the place. The people are helpful and knowledgeable and obviously like their work. At $17.00 an hour, they are much happier campers than the underpaid WalMart crew.

I have a daughter who is happier than a pig in slop shopping at WalMart late at night. I can understand the late at night bit to avoid the crowd, but I just don’t like WalMart.

I don’t like what they have done to the many small retailers they’ve put out of business. I don’t like their predatory buying pressure. I’ve known a few companies and agents who have sold them and, though they love the volume, they don’t love the ever-increasing cost pressure applied by this behemoth of a chain. I don’t like their relationship with their employees, which can only be described as adversarial.

To me, Costco is beating them at their own game and making the process enjoyable to their customers. The only thing I don’t like at Costco is that I spend too much when I go in there. That’s my fault, not Costco’s.

So, carry on with that miracle of retailing, Walmart, if you desire, but give me the new rival, Costco, thank you.

WHERE TO BE BORN?

This chart came from The Economist, one of my favorite periodicals for calm, thorough and objective reasoning.  A sister company of this periodical, Economist Intelligence Unit (E.I.U.), did a study recently, weighing in many factors as to the best places to live in our world now. The U.S.A. used to dominate this study. Look where we are now---number 16, behind a host of nations, even our neighbor, Canada.

Factors to determine these ratings include. geography, income, crime rate, trust in public institutions, health, safety, family life and resources. One of the contributing factors in America's decline from numero uno to sixteen is the fiscal debt crushing future generations and the economic load it will impose on those generations.

One amusing note: in the article, they quote one of my favorite movie lines from that classic, The Third Man, a masterpiece directed by Sir Carroll Reed and featuring Joseph Cotten and one of my favorites, Orson Welles. Welles plays an ammoral con man, an American operating in the shady drug (in this case, penicillin) blackmarket after World War II in Vienna. His old friend, Cotten, is trying to dissuade him from his crooked endeavors by appealing to his humanitarian instincts. Welles replies in a great speech to the effect that medieval Italy, a country torn by strife and the evil Borgias, created Leonardo da Vinci and Michelangelo. And in 500 years of peace and harmony, what did Switzerland create? The cuckoo clock! The writers of the article were referring to what they called the "yawn factor" of living in boring Switzerland.
I still love that line.

Just in case you are planning to live another hundred years or more, I thought you might find this information of value. As for me, I'm too old to emigrate.  I'll stay here in the good old U.S.A., warts and all.

THAT FRAGILE THREAD

I lost my younger nephew on Monday, who died unexpectedly at age 63.  It is painful at my age of 85 to see someone from the next generation pass on before me, and the shock and trauma generated in the entire family are profound.

Alfred was a bear of a man-boy: 6'3", a teddy bear with an ebullient outgoing personality, the proverbial "not-a-mean-streak-in-his-body" type. He had a rollicking sense of humor and loved pranks and gadgets. He was a born salesman whose customers, I'm sure, loved him. He and his wife Liz, whom he married in 1991, never had children but had a series of dogs whom they treated like kids. His nephews, nieces and cousins all loved him because of his outgoing personality.

In his younger days he was a typical product of the 60s and 70s: anti-war, pot smoking, rebellious against the establishment---typical of so many of his generation.  He even ran a head shop in our small town in Ohio. He got involved with some serious drugs early but, to his credit, left that world behind him and got his act together. He went through a couple of bad marriages but found happiness with his third try, Liz, and settled down. He moved to Florida in the early eighties and came to Fort Myers in 1988. He and Liz were married in 1991.

Alf and a partner started an electronics business in alarm systems and audio and video equipment, ranging from home sound systems to home theaters, for custom homes and businesses. It was highly successful, until the crash of 2008 put the kibosh on building of new homes. Still, they struggled along and began to see improvements in the last year. My nephew retired from the business this summer.

One of his outstanding characteristics was his caring nature. His mother-in-law lived with Alf and her daughter for almost ten years, the last few of which she slowly but surely went downhill. Liz had a job that involved a lot of travel, and a great deal of the care and concern fell on Alfred, who unfailingly and uncomplainingly took care of his mother-in-law, who died last fall. It was service above and beyond the call of duty, and I wish I could strike him a medal.

Ten years ago, he had a freak accident: a golfing friend accidentally hit him with his club, which turned out to be a fortuitous happening because X-rays revealed he had a tumor on his pituitary gland in his head. He underwent serious surgery removing the pituitary, but he recovered, and thanks to medication, compensated for the loss of this gland and was able to lead a normal life.

His death was swift. He felt fine on the Saturday; in fact, he and Liz walked the dogs. Then, Sunday morning he awoke with intense pain in his lower abdomen. He stayed in bed the whole day. Liz went into him Monday morning at 9:00 and asked if he wanted a doctor. He said, no, he thought he would be better soon and just wanted to rest some more. At 10:15, she came in and found him comatose, called the medics, who arrived promptly and could not revive him. I'm no doctor, but it sounds like an aneurysm of sorts. Liz will decide whether to have an autopsy or no.

All of us are in pain. Once again, we are reminded of that fragile thread connecting life and death.

God bless you, Alfred. God has gained one of the good ones.

A SMALL CONNECTION

The scandals which broke this week regarding the sexual activities of top generals are an old and familiar story.  Henry Kissinger once said and created the maxim: "Power is the ultimate aphrodisiac," Power is a real love potion, affecting the parties involved in frequently tragic ways. Go back to Samson and Delilah, Anthony and Cleopatra, Napoleon and Josephine, Jack and Marilyn, Bill and Monica---the participants and victims are legion.

Women are attracted to the powerful, and men find it hard (an apt choice of words) to resist the lures of a sexually aroused woman.  Reason and good sense are swept away in the vortex of a passionate affair. Another crude but accurate male epigram comes to mind: a stiff prick knows no conscience.

And then the old Aristotlean definition of tragedy comes into play. Aristotle defined tragedy as the fall of a man from high estate. Look at David Patraeus. A general compared by many to Eisenhower, Marshall, Washington and Grant, a Renaissance man of many parts, brilliant and seemingly beyond reproach, he is now a tragic hero or an overrated bum, according to your view. Most of all, he is a very human man who could not resist the allure of power and the desire that accompanies it. Whether  he seduced or was seduced doesn't really matter; the end result is the loss of a talented man to public service. That is an old and familiar story.

At a breakfast meeting earler this week, I wisecracked to a friend, 'It's amazing what that tiny piece of the human anatomy can cause," and my friend replied, "Yeah, but it has all kinds of connections."

IN RETROSPECT

Now that we have had almost a week to mull over the election results, I have found it interesting to read a variety of pundits.

The old guard of what might be termed "Country Club Republicans" believes that the political agenda was not conservative enough and preaches even more of "same old, same old": more tax breaks for business and protection of the ultra rich; solve every problem by encouraging business and the rest will take care of itself.  The more things change, the more they are the same...

The more astute pundits look beyond the same old answers and point out that the Republican Party, for the most part, is a collection of older white men which does not reach out to expand its base, both ethnically and genderwise.  Obviously, it was not a majority of whites who reelected the President but the "rainbow blend": some whites and a helluva lot of Blacks and Hispanics, not to mention a broad crosssection of women, especially younger ones. Add in a brilliant stratagem of targeting precisely independent voters and getting them out to vote.

Perhaps the Republican Party is too stubborn to change, but I can't believe, with young Turks like Marco Rubio waiting in the wings for showtime, that they won't change. A changing of the guard is bound to occur, unless their feet are set in concrete.

The next few months are going to be fascinating as the two parties circle each other and try to reach a compromise--- in each one's favor. Certainly the election has strengthened the President's hand, but you can be sure that John Boehner, Mitch McConnell and G.O.P. stalwarts will push the fiscal cliff and other economic problems to the max.

America, with brief exceptions, has been a two-party political system. Is it time for a truly viable third party, representing the moderates of this country, rejecting the extremes of the current two parties? Perhaps it might grow spontaneously without intent as a result of the forthcoming struggle to find a way out of our economic morass.

The old Chinese curse is applicable here: may you live in interesting times.

A THIRD WORLD ELECTION

The tumult and the shouting are over, thank God, and the people have spoken. It was close but not so much as I expected. I believe the right man won. But the expense and the time, the slime and dirty tricks for both parties were disgusting.

On our little island in Florida, my wife and I, along with many others, stood and waited in line for three hours and forty minutes. We actually got in the ballot room in a little more than three hours, quickly voted (though the ballot, with a ton of proposed amendments in bilingual form looked like the next great American novel) and then stood in line again so that we could scan our multi-paged ballot one page at a time THROUGH ONE BALLOT MACHINE/SCANNER. You don't have to be a brilliant mathmetician to figure, at five sheets per person, waiting for each page to be cleared, which took over a minute, that the pace was turtlelike. Judging by the quantity of letters to the editor of the local Fort Myers newspaper, this problem was universal, and people were pissed, to say the least.

Standing in line that long you make a lot of temporary friendships, forged in the adversity of shared discomfort (we had lots of rain showers). . One attractive younger woman in front of me received a phone call from an American friend living in Switzerland who said, "When is America going to join the twenty-first cenrury in voting procedures? Why are we so backward?"

It is shambolic, this whole system of voting. Here we are leading the world in technology and we can't come up with an internet voting system. I know, I know, the security problems. But we trust our defense system and a host of other governmental activities to computers; yes, they get breached on occasions, but we usually sort it out. Can't we put some brainpower to work to solve this ridiculous system which is a blackmark on the democratic process.

Then we have the problem of manipulation of voters. Here in Florida the Republican powers have done everything possible to limit voters, especially those they don't want to vote, like blacks, who are frequently overwhelmingly Democratic, by limiting voting hours in early voting or demanding ridiculous proofs of identity as a valid voter. Shades of pre-Civil Rights Mississippi...

I get tired of the number one nation in the world (at least for now) looking like a third world country at election time. It's time, long overdue, for a real change in election procedures.

MORE FUEL ON THE I.T. FIRE

In view of my recent post ("Are You Smarter than Your Phone"), I was interested to see an article in the  "NY Times" regarding educators and studies about  the effect of technology on students and altering learning styles.

A study by the Pew Internet Project and another by Common Sense Media, although both quickly avow that these studies are based on subjective views of teachers, indicate that constant use of digital technology has shown a deterioration in attention spans and to complete challenging tasks.

One teacher interviewed commented: "I'm an entertainer. I have to do a song and dance to capture their attention."  Almost 90% of the teachers interviewed thought that students were "an easily distracted generation".

Yet many interviewed agreed that technology is a useful learning tool: about 75% said that the internet and search engines had "a mostly positive effect". One commented that video games and digital presentations were positive tools for teaching. This same teacher said , "I'm tap dancing all over the place. The more I stand in front of the class, the easier it is to lose them."


One problem noted was that students get so acclimated to quick information and answers ("the Wikipedia" effect") that they lack patience for finding answers which take more time and tend to give up too easily. Another researcher, Dr. Dimitri Christakis of the Center for Child Health, Behaviour and Development at Children's Hospuital of Seattle WA, found that saturation from heavy digital stimulation created a "supernatural stimulation" which makes reality a bore, in comparison.  It is hard for teachers to compete with that.

It's a new world, folks.

ARE YOU SMARTER THAN YOUR PHONE?

I had my old Volvo inspected because of a “check engine” light at my ultra-honest Volvo technicians. They used to be the mechanics for an old dealership that was taken over and moved thirty miles south and chose not to go south but to stay and set up a business for Volvos and other foreign and even domestic cars. They are that rare species of conscientious honest and proficient artisans who give you expert work at reasonable prices. In fact, on some minor items, they don’t even charge me.


That’s not the purpose of this blog, but it is good to give credit when due and acknowledge quality workmanship and professionalism in these shoddy times.

While waiting for the car, I randomly picked up a magazine and found an intriguing article by a journalist named Jeff Wise called “Mental Outsourcing”. Let me quote from Jeff Wise. Referring to our reliance on cellphones and G.P.S. systems, he says:

“The dumbing down…(depending on these devices totally) is just one example of a trend that’s affecting almost every aspect of out cognitive life. I call it mental outsourcing. More and more we’re using technology, especially smartphones as auxiliary brains, delegating to them mental functions---such as memory, sense of direction and problem solving---that we used to do routinely ourselves.”

This sums up very nicely a feeling I’ve had, almost inchoate and unsaid, about the technological revolution we are undergoing. It is an exciting and fascinating world. Look at the information available today compared to, say, twenty-five years ago; hell, for that matter, in the time I’ve been retired since 1995. Here I am, an old man, and I love the computer, the internet, all things I.T., although I am light years away from being a techie. (I guess I’m some kind of old geek.)

But I think Wise has touched a nerve in that we are becoming too dependent on our new wizardry and becoming mentally lazy. I still do crossword puzzles first thing in the morning over my coffee. Why? Because it starts the engine of my mind and challenges me., plus I love words. I like to do some arithmetic in my head. Why? Because I’m good at it, and it keeps those grey cells pulsating. I even sometimes look at maps and work out where I'm going. Why? To see if I can still do it.

Wise even points out that recent scientific studies are demonstrating some correlation between dependence on our devices and the diminishing of our cognitive skills. For example, people depending solely on a G.P.S. device instead of mapping out where they would like to go showed “cognitive decline and even the early onset of dementia” in some cases. Another one that got me: multitaskers who phone or text while driving “function as though at an alcohol level of .08, the equivalent of being legally drunk”.

So, let’s have our technological marvels like smartphones, computers and G.P.S. systems, but use them wisely. Just, every so often, do some mental exercises to keep the brain---after all, it’s part of the body---fit. Even my phone could agree: that’s really smart.

IN TIME OF PERIL

This "perfect storm" called Sandy is a real monster, touching and affecting many lives over an incredibly vast area. My heart and prayers go out to those affected, and I hope it ends up less catastrophic than predicted.

Living on an island in the Gulf of Mexico on the west coast of Florida, I appreciate the fear and dread of such storms. We were hit by Huricane Charley on Friday, August 13, 2004 and had a condo essentially destroyed, which had to be stripped down to bare walls and rebuilt, but, fortunately, no lives were lost. The possibility of a big storm is a reality with which we learn to live.

The flooding from Sandy triggered memories for me. In September of 1938, a hurricane hit New England. My middle brother (who later was killed in World War II) was on a train on his way to a prep school outside of Boston when the storm hit full blast. The train had to be evacuated, and my brother received a commendatory letter from the Governor of Massachusetts (along with several others, I'm sure)  for helping an old lady and carrying her off the train through waisthigh water to safety and then helping other rescuers assist distressed off the train.  My brother told how many people performed selfless acts of safety to evacuate people from that train.

In every catastrophe you have your share of idiots or stubborn fools who refuse to face the reality and danger from such storms and lose their lives or their homes. You also have the scum of the earth who take advantage of such catastrophes to loot or steal. But, thank God, you also have the heros, everyday people who do the right thing instinctively to help others in peril. A catastrophe, such as this perfect storm, brings out the worst---but also the best---in humanity.

Again, let's pray that few suffer or die and that damage is confined.

OCTOBER OBSERVATIONS

As we approach Halloween and after this last weekend of sports activity, it is a good time (or excuse) for me to comment.

PRO FOOTBALL:  Are you as delighted as I by the showing of Peyton Manning, who certainly killed any rumors of being a has-been?

Are the Atlanta Falcons for real or will reality strike home in the last half of the season?

The Jets have a dual quarterback problem, Also a running back, offensive line and defense problem.

Cream is beginning to rise to the top. Watch the Pack, the Patriots, the Oilers and the Giants. The Steelers may be coming alive, as well.  Dark horse, Denver.

 Tony Romo almost pulled off an Eli Manning but missed by a hand.

COLLEGE FOOTBALL: I still think Ohio State is overrated but less than I did. Wisconsin and Michigan will prove tests. Braxton Miller and Denard Robinson---hmmmm.

Alabama still the class of football. L.S.U. will be their last real test.

K-State will be tested by Oklahoma State and (bare possibility) Texas.

Will Notre Dame have one "Hail Mary" left to beat U.S.C.?

Oregon has three tests ahead of them in U.S.C., Stanford and Oregon State---that's a handful.

Anyone think we need a playoff system, more than ever?

BASEBALL:  I feel better about my Reds losing to the Giants, the supreme masters of coming from behind and snowballing momentum. It was a "mo" World Series with the the the two hottest teams at the right time duking it out. Obviously, the Tigers got defanged and had nothing left in their tank.

MISCELLANEOUS:  Isn't it great to see Indiana back in the basketball mix? Seems like old times.

A new "mano a mano" shaping up in golf with Rory and Tiger squaring off .

Explain to me how women's tennis (the W.T.A.) devolves a ranking system where Serena Willams is ranked third, having won Wimbledon, the U.S. Open, two gold medals in the Olympics and the W.T.A. championship? What labyrnthian thought process came up with this seeding?

May the wirches and ghouls bring you treats.

ROUND 3

Thank God it's over, the last of the debates. Please hurry, November 6!

It was close, but a slight edge to Obama for controlled aggression. He snuck in a few goodies like "the horses and bayonets" bit.  Romney was in his "look and act Presidential" mode. The basic agreement on foreign policy was evident: at one point Romney reeled off a summary of what we've done and should do, and I'm sure the President smiled because it was pretty much a carbon copy of his policy.

I still think Obama missed a good opportunity to demonstrate the inconsistency and opportunism of Mitt Romney by not needling him regarding his progressive Health Care plan in Massachusetts and his present position of his first act being the repeal of Obamacare. And I think he should have retorted when Mitt Romney stressed his own abilty to work both sides of the aisle in Massachusetts by questioning if Mitt had a Mitch McConnell and a host of rabid Tea Partyites how well he would have reached across the aisle to deal with an implacable enemy whose first mission was to defeat his legislation and second mission not reelect him.

There is no question that Obama dug a deep hole in his first debate. He has tried to climb out of it and has acquitted himself more aggressively, but he let Mitt Romney gain momentum---and that is hard to stop.

It's going to be a tight one. My prediction: Obama by a nose or even a photo finish.

MAYBE THE WORLD IS FLAT...

 "Medieval" Court Convicts Scientists: Headline on AOL News

An Italian court startled the international community by handing down six-year prison sentences to a group of Italy's top experts Monday.

Now I’ve heard it all. Seven seismologists were convicted Monday of failing to predict the earthquake that devastated L'Aquila, Italy, killing 308 people in 2009.

The whole scientific community is in an uproar because of this incredible decision. Has anyone ever predicted with pinpoint accuracy any earthquake---or tsunami? Scientists are able to predict trends but never the exact day or time. These scientists weren’t quacks but a group of respected scientists.

What’s next? Will a court claim that scientists in the U.S.A. should be able to predict tornados and where exactly they will strike? Will the devastating fires in the west be subject to prosecution if the scientific community does not see them coming? Or, living here in Florida, Mississippi or Louisiana, should we go after the climatologists who didn’t predict the terrible hurricanes and their devastation?

This is the ultimate blame game. Someone wanted a pound of flesh---or several pounds, it would appear. This is also the ultimate triumph of emotion over reason. I hope some higher court can step in and render order out of this chaos.

ROUND TWO

What do you know, Barack Obama showed up for the second debate last night! In the first one, I don't know where he was or what he was trying to prove, except perhaps he thought by being quiet and restrained he would look Presidential.  Obama took a severe cuffing from the pugnacious mitts of Mitt and seriously (not fatally) hurt his cause.

Last night he remembered it was a debate and not a photo-op in dignity. Debates are rarely won by logic but by scoring points that keep your opponent off-balance  and edgy. The President's aggressive style, though perhaps repugnant to him, was effective against an opponent who just keeps boring in. (To me. most of Mitt's points are boring, but aggressive he is...) I believe Obama stanched the flow of blood and demonstrated that he could mix it up when necessary and score some points.

It  was a political Ali-Frazier rematch. Mitt as Smokin' Joe just keeps boring in, trying to corner his opponent, while Obama as Ali, rope-adoped on occasions and got in some good telling shots that hurt. So, round two to Obama.

Going into the third round. they're now even in debates. You can be sure Mitt will continue smoking and jabbing with his "Jobs, Jobs Jobs" punching. The President must continue his controlled aggression, taking a few shots to counter with bigger ones of his own. I still think, in addition to poking fun at the inconsistencies of Mitt's "new math" in reducing the deficit, he should also nail Mitt on his inconsistencies: i.e., how do you create a health plan for Massachusetts, the model for Obamacare, and then turn about and totally reject it,except on grounds of fear of losing his conservative base--- how could it be so wrong and yet so effective in Massachusetts? And he shouldn't be afraid to use his mantra of "the 47%" a few times. Obama also needs to deal in some specifics as to programs desired, stress again the obstinacy ever since he was elected by the Republicans to block any plan he backs (for example, Mitch McConnell stating that the main job of Congress from 2008 on was to stop Obama's legislation and get him beaten in 2012), even when he tried to reach across the aisle.

As I said, you don't win debates by being gentlemanly. The president doesn't have to sling mud---but he can be aggressive in defense of his programs and antagonistic to Mitt's philosophy. It should be very stimulating.

RYDER CUP II

God, now I'll probably have to wait another thirty-odd years for another chance: my Cincinnati Reds have blown it again! The San Francisco Giants came back from two games down and beat the Reds. Thirty-odd years would put me in the area of being 120, so I may be S.O.L. or so old I won't notice.

How you can win two games away and then blow three at home absolutely baffles me, but somehow the Reds found a way .  It was fun while it lasted---but not the last three days.

Dusty Baker and boys, meet Davis Love III and his cohorts...

MY FAVORITE MOVIE REVISITED

I happened to pick up on the web the other day a notice from Fandango that on Thursday, October 4, there would be selected showings in key cities of the 50th Anniversary Edition, digitally remastered, of my favorite film---"Lawrence of Arabia". One of my daughters is visiting who had only seen bits and pieces of it on TV, and she was interested, as was my wife who loved the original in 1962. Another friend expressed interest, so I purchased and printed four tickets, and off we went to Fort Myers and the Regal Belltower stadium for the matinee. It started at 1:00 p.m. and ended at 5:20 p.m.

In addition to the film interviews with the powers and crew at Sony Entertainment who did the restoration, there was a wonderful interview with the great director Martin Scorsese who saw it as a young teen and was captivated, plus newsclips of the Royal Opening in London attended by the Queen and , of course, all the stars. Films of the making of the picture in the Moroccan desert (simulating the deserts of Saudi Arabia) showed director Sir David Lean ("Bridge Over the River Kwai". "Doctor Zhivago", "Great Expectations","A Passage to India". "Oliver Twist", etc.) and his crew and stars. It was the first film for Peter O'Toole, then 28 and an experienced stage actor, whom Kathryn Hepburn saw on the stage and recommended to Lean. The vicissitudes of heat, wind and sun played havoc with the production, but they succeeded in having it ready for fall showing in key theaters around the world and in December of 1962 for the Queen's Command Performance.

I saw the original production in 1962 in New York at one of the big theater houses and was awed by the film. I've seen it a few times on TV including the restoration version  in 1988, but nothing could compare with what I saw on the big screen yesterday where all the power of modern computer technology was applied painstakingsly to this "modern" version.

It took your breath away in its scope and majesty. The original was in CinemaScope and impressive in scope---but nothing like the new version. Every pore of Lawrence's face in a sand storm, every mote of sand was crystal clear. And Lean's incredible panning of cameras from sky to desert was totally vivid.

This classic was not like so many films of today which depend less on acting and plot but more on special effects. Certainly the computer magic was there, which complemented the superb cast of actors and the fascinating story of this iconic hero of Arabia and the World War I battles against the Turks where this one man galvanized the many tribes of Arabia into a fighting and conquering force. The complexities of the man, his mixture of hero, sado-masochist, mystical introvert, politician, and daredevil extrovert, were evoked by Peter O'Toole's multi-dimensional performance. A cast including Alec Guiness, Anthony Quinn. Jack Hawkins, Claude Rains, Anthony Quayle, Arthur Kennedy and the charismatic Omar Sharif (already a star in Egypt but now a star in the west) was stellar. The famous music and Lawrence theme by Maurice Jarre still ranks, along with "Gone with the Wind", as one of the greatest cinematic musical scores ever created.

More than ever, it is my favorite film. Go buy the 50th Anniversary bluray edition and see it on a big screen HDTV. It won't equal the theater, but you'll still be awed, as I was.

THE FIRE STARTER

The Ryder Cup Matches were great theater with everything but a happy ending for the Americans. You have to give the Europeans credit for an amazing and courageous comeback.

Many heroes for the Europeans abounded, but one in particular stands out as a symbol of resolution, pure grit and combativeness---Ian Poulter. This Florida-based Brit has a history of performing well in match play---man vs. man. His Ryder cup record is incredible over the years, and he even won the World Match Play Championship a few years ago against the world’s best.

It was Poulter who ignited the turnaround with his incredible run of five successive birdies to stop the American avalanche in foursome golf. His was the momentum builder; his was the inspiration; his was the symbol of undying resistance as he stood with clenched fists and body pumps when he made his string of birdies. He did not lose a match, completing his sweep with a close one-up victory over U.S. Open Champion Webb Simpson mid Sunday afternoon.. It was about mid-afternoon that you began to get the message that the European tide was about to engulf the Americans.

All the big European guns came through when it counted. Rory McIlroy, number one in the world, who was almost late for his tee time due to a time misunderstanding, stopped the hot young American, Keenan Bradley. Luke Donald, the number three, always a stalwart in Ryder Cup, had had a mediocre record in this Cup but came through and outplayed Bubba Watson. Lee Westwood, number four in the world had a horrible losing record this year until the final singles match when he came through and defeated Matt Kuchar. Paul Lawrie, an old stalwart for Europe, whipped the hottest (until the Ryder cup) American player, Brandt Snedeker, who had just win the Fedex Cup Championship and Final, collecting $11,000,000. Snedeker quickly found that Ryder Cup pressure is stifling. Sergio Garcia nipped Jim Furyk in a tight match, calling on the ghost and memory of Seve Ballesteros, his friend and the late great Spanish star who tragically died of brain cancer last year and whose silhouette was on every European golf bag and sport shirt. Justin Rose, number six in the world and climbing fast, birdied the last two holes to steal one from the gallant Phil Mickelson by a stroke in an awesome display of grace under pressure (Hemingway’s famous definition of courage). And then of course, the Fire Starter himself, Ian Poulter, edging Simpson.

Only Jason Dufner, a fast-rising golfer, and the two Johnson Boys, Zach and Dustin, were able to win for the U.S.A. Tiger Woods lost every match until the final singles when he missed a three and a half foot putt and drew with Francisco Molinari.

It was a total deflation and crushing of hopes in a single Sunday afternoon . All the Americans can do is lick their wounds and hope that the scars heal quickly. Perhaps this crucible of experience under heat and pressure will harden their resolve for future encounters. In the meantime, hats off and bows to the Fire Starter and his friends.  Captain Jose Maria Olazabal, a former Ryder Cup stalwart with his friend and mentor, Seve Ballesteros, openly wept tears of joy. I think he and Seve planned the whole thing

GRIDIRON GATHERINGS AND GRUMBLINGS

The N.F.L. fell briefly from its Olympian heights in the recent debacle of the substitute referees, culminating in an erroneous decision that cost one team, the Green Bay Packers, a win.  Roger Goodell can, with a straight face, declare in a press conference after the strike was resolved that the two sides were really already close to an agreement, anyway, and the public outcry really didn't affect the decision. Sure, Roger, and the cow will jump over the moon tomorrow! The N.F.L. and the fatcat owners know that they have the  most desirable sports asset in America and recognize that, no matter what, America wants its pro football. Yet the hue and cry after the Seattle-Green Bay game did get their attention and made them blink. Roger even apologized!

 It is apparent that parity in the N.F.L. is underway with a lot of the perennial premier teams like New England, Green Bay (thanks to the blown call), New Orleans and Pittsburgh struggling early. One constant, unfortunately, is my hapless Cleveland Browns losing, though they are getting closer! It is fun seeing Arizona, Houston and Atlanta riding high, making the mix more interesting.

As for the college game, it looks like Southern Cal is not going to have a cake walk, nor Oregon, for that matter. Alabama does stand out as top of the class, and the S.E.C. as the prime conference (so what else is new?). I think Ohio State, though I root for them (but had serious misgvings after the Tresell affair), is overrated, and I think Michigan State should give them a good dose of reality this weekend. Florida State looks good but, as they get deeper in the season, will they come through unscathed? I doubt it. Notre Dame looks like it's for real and back as a power. L.S.U. has their usual depth but not up to the Crimson Tide of Alabama.

But, in between all this football, there's the Ryder Cup. Go U.S.A.!

LIFE IN A COCOON

As I frequently do, I read David Brooks column yesterday in the Times. I don’t always agree with him, but most of the time I do, and I always enjoy his perception and wit.

He wrote a column entitled “Thurston Howell Romney”---and the title almost says it all. For those of you too young to remember the hilarious TV show “Gilligan’s Island” about a zany group marooned on a desert island, Thurston Howell III was a multi-millionaire in a world of his own anywhere in the world including a deserted island.

Recent utterings from the Republican candidate for the presidency were the inspiration for Brook’s title. Now Brooks is no wild-eyed liberal by any means: he is Republican by nature and inclination with a tendency to thoughtful moderation and a keen sense of reality. But Romney’s recent rantings even got to him. Until recently, his Republican sympathies were inclining him toward Romney, but these latest gaffes shocked him.

Even Brooks is beginning to believe that Romney lives in an isolated castle on a lofty mountain top, surrounded by his kind, the multi-rich who live an oblivious life to reality. He, plain and simple, just doesn’t get it: that a whole lot of people in this country depend to some degree or other on government entitlements---and that does not make them dead beats. Sure, we have our share of dead beats trying to beat the system, but the vast majority of those entitled need help in some form or another.

I was fortunate enough to be raised in a family of means who could afford to send me to an excellent prep school in the east and to college there. In my time at those schools I rubbed shoulders with any number of Romneys or Thurston Howells. Scott Fitzgerald exclaimed, “The very rich are very different from you and me”. He rubbed shoulders with a lot of them at Princeton and recognized the species, as reflected in his writings. The very rich are so insulated in a cocoon of money that they don’t recognize the problems of the outside world and simply don’t have to deal with little mundane problems like paying a mortgage or allotting a budget for groceries. They hire people to handle those little daily transactions while they flit from one home to several others or on cruises to exotic (or at least rich) ports. Summer holidays in Cannes or the Algarve of Portugal, Barbados in the winter, skiing holidays at St. Moritz---you name it, they’ve done it.

Don’t begrudge them their wealth. Some ancestor, or, in some cases, some recent enterprising familial dynamo has built an empire. That’s great, God bless ‘em, that’s the ultimate crowning of the American Dream. But keep one foot in the real world and remember that a lot of working people helped you realize that dream.

Brooks also added this line: “Personally, I think he’s a kind decent man who says stupid things because he is pretending to be something he’s not…” I would agree with that: Mitt Romney is essentially a good man and in reality, I suspect, a centrist. He has sold his soul to the far right to gain acceptance. The Bible, to paraphrase, says words to the effect that selling your own soul to gain the world gains you naught.

I think Mitt is going to pay that price.

ANOTHER PANDORA'S BOX

Watching and reading about the “Arab Fall” and the inflammatory effects of that stupid anti-Islam film produced by that right-wing zealot leads to thoughts about the internet. It is a boon, having created a total revolution in communication as new technology opens up more avenues of communication in the form of smart phones, tablets, texting and the like---but it is also a bane. It is Pandora’s box which has been irretrievably opened, never to be closed again. It has truly made the world, in Marshall MacLuan’s famous phrase, “a global village”. And right now we are seeing the bad effects of this communicative revolution which has made instant communication instant hell.


We can laugh it off or scoff at the detriti, flotsam and jetsam, frequently on the social networks where “friends” share the minutiae of their lives. On one hand, we know good aspects of social networking are out there: staying in touch with or reigniting friendships, sharing good news (and bad), creating photo albums of possible interest---I’m not such a curmudgeon, even though I'm not on a social network, that I can’t appreciate those aspects of social networking---but, let’s face it, on the other hand, you frequently forsake your precious privacy, and that is sad. What make it worse are the sharks out there, the hackers and intruders, trying to invade your private life and steal your money, even take over your identity. That is the ultimate privacy rape, and, unfortunately, too many of us have felt its effect.

It’s bad enough dealing with the current news: the virulent hatred of America (based on envy, of course) in the Middle East, the political polarization of America, the teachers’ strike in Chicago, the Afghanistan agony---take your pick. About the only good news I see is my beloved Cincinnati Reds in front by eleven games!

Waiter, another double Scotch---and leave out the soda this time.

A TIME TO REFLECT

The last few days, starting with 9/11 and culminating with Neil Armstrong's official funeral yesterday, have been times for reflection. We have also been forcibly reminded of the virulent hatred among rabid  Islamics for anything American with the tragic death of Ambassador Chris Stevens in Libya and the anti-Islamic film made in the U.S.A  and spreading its germs throughout the Middle East.

What  a tragic loss  it is of a seasoned diplomat, fluent in Arabic and Arabic knowledge, one that we need to reach out and negotiate. What ripple effects are generated by a neo-Con neo-Christian promulgating his ignorance and igniting religious fires with his inflammatory film.  I can't say I would be too pleased if some Muslim made a film portraying Jesus Christ as a murderous homosexual and pedophile.

Neil Armstrong's funeral triggered some wonderful memories for me. You may remember that his famous flight occurred in July of 1969. In September of that year, a Grand Parade and Appreciation day was held in late August in his hometown of Wapakoneta, Ohio, a town about thirty miles north of where I was born and raised. In fact, I remember "Wapak", as it is intimately known to us old Buckeyes, as the only place where I ever won a medal in my age bracket in a 10k run--- third place. ( I think all the really good runners were off at another race somewhere else in Ohio.)

Back to the Neil Armstrong Day, a good friend of my wife and me organized a small group from our small town to put together a picnic and head uo to Wapak for the big show. It was wonderful---the best of Americana, a small town of maybe 10,000 swelled to 50,000 celebrating a once-in-a-lifetime genuine hero who had come home. In addition to the parade they had opened up the local fairgrounds where families could continue their celebrations. As you climbed in the stands erected for the parade, you were handed a small American flag which we all waved frantically as he rode by in an open convertible and acknowledged our adulation with a wave back.

That quiet, modest and intelligent man personifies all that we love, or should love, in America. He didn't talk much; he just did it.

It's a time in the world where all of us need to talk quietly but constructively about our differences and our problems.

2 4s=1

My wife and I, avid ex-tennisplayers and buffs, have been mesmerized by the U.S. Open which ended yesterday, a day late due to weird weather.  And what an Open it was with tension-filled finals for both the men and women.

First, the ladies. Serena Williams, ranked fourth because she does not play the full complement of tournaments, met Victoria Azarenka, ranked numero uno, a 23 year-old from Belarus who lives in Scottsdale AZ.  Azarenka has really come on in the last year, winning the first major of the year, the Australian Open, and performing especially well on hard courts where her record was 34-1 and 12-0 in three sets matches. Serena has had an unbelievable second half of the year. The first half ended dismally when she was knocked out in the first round of the second major, the French Open. Serena has suffered a series of debilitating injuries the last couple years and, in fact, missed ten months of play last year, and it took awhile for her to round into shape---but did she ever. All she has done, prior to the U.S. Open final, the last part of the year is win Wimbledon, the third major (which many consider the pearl of the set of four Opens), two gold medals in singles and doubles (with sister Venus) in the London Olympics.

When Serena met Victoria in the finals of the U.S. Open, Serena started like she was going to a fire sale, gobbling everything in sight to win the first set 6-2 in less than half an hour. But then Victoria sucked it up, became acclimated to Serena's power and shortened her strokes accordingly, as well as putting more heat on her serve, and turned the tables and won the second set 6-2. It must be noted that Serena helped her along by suddenly turning erratic and spraying her shots everywhere but the court. Victoria started the third and final set with a break and suddenly was up 5-3 and at 30-30 on her own serve.

Then Serena Williams, like the Phoenix rising from the ashes, became her inimitable indominable self and refused to lose. She broke Victoria and ran off four straight games to win 7-5 and claim the title. It was a breathtaking finale.

Then it got even better when the men's final played out on Monday between the defending champion and number two in the world, Novak Djokovich, and the number four, the perennial bridesmaid and hope of Great Britain, Andy Murray of Scotland. Murray was often near the top in various Open battles of the last few years but never could win the big one. Then, this summer he beat world number one, Roger Federer, to win the gold medal in the Olympics.

The Brits have not had an Open Champion in any of the four grand slams since 1936 when Fred Perry won the U.S. Open and Wimbledon. 76 years of frustration, count 'em. That sets the scene for Djokovich and Murray.

It  lasted four hours and 56 minutes and had the crowd screaming as the match yo-yoed from one to the other. Rallies of 20 strokes, 30 strokes---even one of 55 strokes--- two warriors laying their hearts and their guts on the court. Murray won an epic tiebreaker the first set, 7-6, 12 points to 10, a new U.S. Open record.. Then he won the second set 7-5.

Then the "Joker", as he is called. came roaring back and won the next two sets 6-2 and 6-4. He seemed to have all the momentum on his side.

Perhaps the effort of coming from behind by two sets took too much out of him, but Andy Murray buried the Ghosts of Matches Past and dominated the final set, also with more heart-stopping ralles, and won the final fifth set, 6-2. Britain had its champion---and I'm sure every pub in Scotland was open all night.

So, two number fours, to my mind, have earned the right to be number one as players of the year. Serena won two majors, Wimbledon and the U.S. Open, plus two Olympic golds. The men's was not quite so clearcut: the four majors were won by four different men. but Murray won one of them, plus the Olympic gold to qualify as player of the year.

That's my New Math: 2 4s=1.

THE STAGE IS SET

The tumult and the shouting of politcal conventions are about over, and not a moment too soon as far as I'm concerned because I think they are a colossal waste of money, as is the whole political process which is inordinately expensive in dollars and time, but perhaps some good came out of all this posturing.

The President made his mea culpa speech, acknowledging that he made mistakes but also an effective appeal for four more years. But the coup of the Democratic convention was Bill Clinton, the master politician who probably did more good for Obama than anything else in the whole campaign.

It was quintessental William Jefferson Clinton---colorful, masterful and over the top, like the man himself. He is larger than life in his virtues and his vices. His speech was too long but a masterpiece of politicking on behalf of Barack Obama. (I also think he helped set his wife up for 2016.) He totally rebuffed and refuted the Republican Reaganesque "Are-You-Better Off- Four-Years-Later" ploy.

Now the contenders step up. Let the heavyweights square off and present some solid specifics of what they plan to do so that we the people have some "flesh and blood" proposals to consider in making a choice. Or will Mitt continue to tap dance and Paul Ryan stick out his photogenic jaw and pose? Will Joe Biden keep his foot away from his mouth and will Barack show some warmth and passion?

Put on a real show. The stage is set.

GIVEN MY DRUTHERS

Headline from Huffpost 9/6/12:

Abbie Jacobson, 8-Year-Old Maine Girl, Returns Lost $4,000 -- And Gets Justin Bieber As Reward


(Personally, I'd have preferred cash, like a 10% reward!)

LABOR DAY RUMINATIONS

As the country takes a brief break on Labor Day, let's talk a bit about labor---and also  management and government.

I read in the "New York Times" an op-ed piece by Hedrick Smith, now in his senior years, but always a well-respected journalist-commentator-talking head. Smith talked about the revolutionary, at the time, decision by Henry Ford in 1914 to raise wages to the astronomical figure of $5.00 a day at a time when a laborer was lucky to make three bucks daily. Henry Ford was never noted primarily as an altruist or for spending money unnecessarily; he was tight-fisted and eminently successful in his prime.

So why did Ford do this? Because he recognized that happy workers were successful and productive workers. If they had job security and a decent wage, they would, in addition to producing more, also spend more, which in turn would stimulate the economy, create business, and therefore increase prosperity for business, a felicitous cycle.

In the course of his article Smith dropped an interesting and neglected statistic; from 1973 until 2011 productivity increased over 80% while wages increased a shade over 4%, according to economic data analyzed by the Economic Policy Institute.

Smith also mentions the social contract practiced in Germany between government, business and labor where agreements are reached for  the common good by each side being willing to compromise for the betterment of all.

It would be well for politicians, government employees, workers, capitalists and the financial world to heed these facts. Wages have certainly not kept pace in this modern world, and, as a result the poorer working class has grown and the middle class is stagnant. Given, businesses have modernized, streamlined, pared off the fat and are lean mean profit machines, which is good competitively. If, however, we continue to grow the poor and weaken the middle class, won't something have to give? At some point, won't resentment turn even nastier and create a kind of economic civil war?  The "Occupy Wall Street" was a tangible sign of such rebellion.

Can't political parties at odds, businesses and unions at odds, financiers and regulators at odds---can't these disparate but interdependent factions learn to converse with each other FOR THE COMMON GOOD? We don't have to become a socialist state to achieve such harmony. This country has been world-famous for its creativity, innovation and economic success. Can't we take that ingenuity and apply it to the betterment of all segments of American society?

We need successful and prosperous capitalists. We need a growing and dynamic work force. We need a political system not in deadlock but able to converse and solve problems. Our time is running out to achieve such harmony. We need better educational standards; we need a symbiotic relationship between management and labor; we need a government that mutually faces up to the problems of deficit and entitlements in a problem-solving positive mode.

Just a few Labor Day thoughts. Have a good one.

E.O.M. MEANDERINGS

We returned to our home on Sanibel Island, Florda yesterday after having spent five days with our youngest daughter and family in Indialantic FL (near Melbourne) on the east coast. We wanted to miss the potential hurricane, especially the possible power outages, in view of my wife's rehabilitating from surgery. It turned out they had more rain there than in Sanibel, and the only power outages were few and brief in Sanibel. Florida dodged the bullet, but I feel sorry for those poor Cajun folk in the flooded parishes of Louisiana.

The Republicans got lucky as well in Tampa for their convention. As predicted, the hot air from Tampa was worse on Florida than the tropical storm. Next week the hot air flow will be from Charlotte, and I don't really expect any real substantive statements from there. I hope I'm wrong...

Right now I'm enjoying the blasts in tennis from Flushing Meadows as the U.S. Open moves along. All the big guns are trained and ready: Federer, Djokovic and Murray look tough as ever, but some young surprises are making names for themselves, like Bob Johnson, Jack Sock and the eighteen-year-old lady Brit, Laura Robson, who has knocked off two former champions (Kim Clijsters and Li Na). The old guard passes and the new arises, as happens in every sport. I'm sorry to see Andy Roddick retire, but he is doing the right thing as he has lost the appetite and the edge to his game, so it's time to hang it up. When competing becomes joyless and a chore, it's time to go.

I am enjoying the  showing of my beloved Cincinnati Reds, now eight games ahead in their division and, for the moment, with the best record in baseball. Can they keep it up? September separates the men from the boys.

Can't wait to see Alabams vs. Michigan: wow, what an opener! College football is upon us. Hooray! And the pros aren't far behind. Then my wife can get mad at me on Sunday afternoons!

POLITICAL MUSINGS IN THE STORMY SEASON

POLITICAL MUSINGS IN THE STORMY SEASON

My wife and I were convinced by our housewatcher/handymen/friends that we should leave our home on Sanibel Island and go across state to our daughter and her family in Indialantic, Florida, near Melbourne, where there would be less tropical storm effects. We were most concerned about possible long-term power losses and my wife's recovery period from surgery. We came over here on Saturday. We have heavy winds and rains  here but less than on the west coast of Florida. I called our housewatcher this morning and found that all was well: lots of storms, water surges and wind causing power outages---but only temporary ones, thank God. I think  we can go home in a couple of days.

The Republicans got lucky and only had to delay their convention one day. I think I can do without the persiflage and bullshit which will emanate from Tampa. Then, next week, in Charlotte NC the Democrats will have their shot , and I'm sure the sound effects and nonsense won't be much better.

I read an article in the local paper here by a guest columnist advocating a third party in American politics----a serious third party, not some wild-eyed revolutionary sect. I know we don't want to become like France, for example, with five or six parties, but maybe the columnist is right that the time is ripe for another serious party. Certainly, there must be a home for moderates who reject the extreme polarization of the far left and far right. We certainly need somehing to break up our gridlock and activate some positive political action in congress.

We also need to revisit the whole matter of out-of-control, amok and disgusting campaign spending and reform of same. The Supreme Court did us no favor by opening the doors, or Pandora's box more accurately, of Super Pacs. that are obscene and unneeded. And, while we're at it, my old favorite---the amount of time wasted in two years of running for President and limiting the time to 3-6 months. Then, for good measure, increase the terms of representatives to four from two years so that we can get more than one year of service out of them. Now it is one to work and one to run for reelection.

It's time for a change, in more ways than one!

SWEATING IT OUT

It’s that fun time again in Florida with hurricane season in effect, and now Isaac is brewing in the Caribbean with the possibility of becoming a hurricane hitting Florida. It’s too early to tell, and the variables are many, including not becoming a hurricane but merely a tropical storm and maybe heading out in the gulf. We just have to watch our weather channels the next few days.

The Republicans have to be sweating, as the Convention Center in Tampa is right on the water and four feet above sea level. Mitt would look pretty silly delivering his acceptance feet in a wet suit with snorkel.

I’ve personally not been exposed to much in hurricanes. On Friday, August 13, 2004 Hurricane Charlie did significant damage to Sanibel and neighboring Captiva; in fact, our condo on the beach in Sanibel, was severely damaged and had to be stripped down to concrete walls and rebuilt because the a/c condensers were knocked off the roof, leaving gaping holes, resulting in water and mold invading the whole building. I got a new condo out of it---at a price, because insurance never covers full replacement value. My wife and I were in England when that occurred  and saw on my nephew's PC monitor a local TV helicopter hovering over our condo building and seeing the damage. About the only thing I could do from there was utter a choice four-letter word.

We were back home the same year when Ivan rolled in, and we evacuated across the state to our youngest daughter’s house near Melbourne, Florida---only to have Ivan follow us across the state and hit Melbourne!
By that time it was heavy winds and a ton of rain---no 150 mph winds.

We’ve had a few tropical storms since then with lots of rain and high winds---but no real hurricane. It is simply a fact of life you deal wih living in Florida, just as people in the Midwest and plains states live with the threat of tornados.

I’ll still take the sunshine and good weather here year round and live with that risk! In the meantime, I have gassed up both cars and made sure we have water and batteries.

CHERCHEZ LA FEMME

One of the paramount accomplishments of the London Olympics just completed was the incredible showing of  the American (add Brits, Russians, Chinese and others!) women. Al Michaels commented yesterday that the American women, in terms of gold medals, ranked third in total won. They actually won more gold than the American men. Welcome to the female nation!

As the old Virginia Slims cigarette ads, early feminist supporters, used to say, "You've come a long way, baby!"

It all goes back to 1972 and the enactment of Title IX which enabled colleges to spend money on women's sports and not discriminate against female sports. The floodgates were opened and, forty years later, look what has happened.

I got "liberated" early in my salad days. My wife and I as newlyweds were living in New York---Brooklyn Heights, to be exact---and both of us worked. My wife was a journalist, with experience from her time in England, who had landed a job on the Long Island Star Journal where she ended up as Society Editor, a title she wisely and foresightedly changed to Woman's Page Editor and worked out of Long Island City, about a half hour subway ride from our brownstone apartment. I was an underwear and sportswear "Schlepper" covering the territory of Manhattan Island up the Hudson River to Albany. I worked most of Manhattan by foot, pulling two wheeled enormous sample bags. I was working for one of the jobber/distributors of my family's underwear business gaining valuable sales experience. The jobber, in addition to underwear made by the family business, was also allowed to buy hosiery and sportswear under our label, paying us a royalty for use of the brand name.

The point is, I made $80,00 a week draw, and my dear wife made $85.00. That liberated me early

The point also is, I never felt threatened or disturbed by my wife making more than I and was proud of her success.

So, go, ladies: You've added a lot of stars to your crowns with your magnificent showing in the Olympics. It should be an inspiration to all men!

LIKE FREDDY KRUGER…

Here I am, returning, ever so slowly, to the world of blogging. Our family life has been dominated by my wife’s shunt surgery and the still ongoing period of restoration of her health and vitality. She is undergoing therapy to build up her strength with a professional home service therapist coming in three times a week. One of my great and caring daughters has been here and helped so much. .After a week in the hospital, she spent almost three weeks in a lovely and caring rehab facility near our island home. She returned home a week ago, and her progress is slow but steady.

Like a good part of the world, I have watched the Olympics and am delighted with America’s showing, especially the women. What a time of pride for women! I look forward to the closing ceremony and, judging by the musical talent involved, expect it to be better than the opening ceremony, about which I commented in my last blog. My sister-in-law in England sent me an editorial extolling that ceremony and the sensitivity shown in not emphasizing the “empire”aspects and the colonial period, plus emphasizing the new Britain. That’s all well and good, but I would think even the most politically correct-minded could appreciate great moments in British history, emphasizing heroism or key events in British history. Doesn’t some national pride have a part in modern Britain? I guess I’m just an insensitive political philistine…

While I was “away”, so to speak, I think the political climate got even stormier and just plain nasty. I think both parties and both candidates are guilty of dwelling in the gutter. Let’s clean up the acts, guys, and try to return to the three “Ps”: principles, philosophies and programs. I’ve reached the point I don’t want to see more mud slinging and name calling. The whole show turns me off!

The Tea Party, gun enthusiasts with no control, crooked banks, etc., the world is still too much with us. I, in my daydreams, was simply hoping it would just go away or at least quiet down. No way. We still need to learn to converse with each other. We still need to add a large dollop of morality to our business dealing and our political discourse.

Enough sermonizing. I’ve missed all of you.

OLYMPIC GOLD MEDAL--NOT FOR THE OPENER

As a sports nut and an Anglophile, I am naturally in seventh heaven with the London Olympics. Everything, as the Brits would say, is going "brilliantly, swimmingly". But I have to admit to one disappointment---the opening ceremony.

Mind you, it had wonderful scenes such as the opening with 007, greeted by the Queen with her first acting line, "Good evening, Mr. Bond," I loved the Corgis and the whole parachute scene. I liked the idea of giving some history, expecially the Industrial Revolution bit. The Mary Poppins, Count Valdemort, Captain Hook and the other floats were fun. BUT...I thought the N.H.S. (National Health Service) got tedious and the dancing wasn't that original. I though the musical transition from the 60s to now with the black lovers wasn't all that creative. It was more like a Super show halftime spectacular; in fact, I think some of the Super Bowl extravaganzas have been better. Danny Boyle, you could have done so much more!

What would I have liked? More emphasis on historical pageantry, a panorama of British history from 1066 when William the Conqueror changed the face of history for Britain by beating Harold and the Anglo-Saxons; when the British fleet in 1588 destroyed the Spanish Armada, thus establishing Elizabeth I as queen of the world; Wellington in 1815 beating Napoleon at Waterloo; when in 1940 the R.A.F. held off the Luftwaffe and saved England from invasion: those kind of high notes. Then throw in a little more pomp and circumstance with Grenadier and Coldstream guards---you know, the kind of wonderful magic dust we saw at the Queen's Jubilee.

Then get to the music scene: the Fab Five, the Stones, Kinks, Cream, Led Zeppelin, you name it. Show Carnaby Street and the mod and mini-skirt days evolving to the rap scene of today.

I guess my age once again is showing. It was a just a bit too trendy and "let's be with it"  today. Yes, I did enjoy Sir Paul McCartney.

I just came away craving for a bit more meat on the bones.

OF GUNS AND NO ROSES

In these anxious days, I am reminded once again of the line from William Butler Yeats: : "Things fall apart, the centre cannot hold..." The world seems to be careening from one disaster to another: Syria disintegrating into endless civil war; the Libor financial scandals in London, the polarity of politics here in Amerca and a political campaign increasingly nastier each day; the Penn State tragedy; and now the Colorado shooting. Things are very much  fallen apart.

Now the debate will rise up again regarding gun control, and the political posturing and empty rhetoric will abound. The N.R.A. will flex its muscles and spout the usual sound bites about the Second Amendment and the right of citizens to bear arms. I wonder what the founding fathers and framers of the Constitution would say about the interpretation of the amendment today. On the heels of the American Revolution, they were legitimately concerned about rebellions and insurrections and the need for formation of militias in times of need. I'm sure they would be shocked and aggrieved at the state of America today with millions of unregistered illegal weapons out there as well as the plethora of legally gun-bearing citizens. 

We can do nothing by legislation to stem the illegal guns, except (1) make the punishment more severe for having illegal weapons and (2) do a better job of psychological screenings of potential gun owners. It is impossible to stop a psychotic who has a weapon and ammo in his possession. Virginia Tech, Norway and Aurora, Colorado are living proof of this statement. A more thorough background check of any potential gunowner can help but is not foolproof.

The gun supporters like the N.R.A. and the gun  control opponents are going to have to learn to speak to each other and to find a middle ground where acceptance of the Second Amendment is a given and where both sides work together to enforce strongly existing laws and to add such laws which will preclude private individuals buying assault weapons and ammo unless part of a gun club or association where usage is controlled.

I'm too old to hunt anymore, and at one time in my life enjoyed pheasant and quail shooting, so I am not anti-gun, when in proper and responsible hands. Somehow we have got to put more teeth into laws and enforcement, as well as better screening, to reduce this carnage.

These horrific massacres are happening too often. When are we going, together, to address this problem in a realistic and constructive way? It's overdue.

THE LONG ROAD BACK

My wife is recuperating from shunt surgery in a lovely rehab center a short distance across the causeway from our island where she has a private room, immediate care and all kinds of therapies to rebuild her strength in body and mind.

My three daughters have been rotating visits to be with Mom and to support Dad. All three are alpha females, real "take-charge-and-organize" types  who have been wonderful. My son and his family arrive Saturday for two weeks in our condo on the island , so then the family support will be complete.

Shunt surgery, in case you are not familiar with it, is to cure the ill effects of water on the brain (hydrocephalis) which has  a debilitating effect on your balance, can cause incontinence and impair reasoning. (My wife likes to quote an old medical aphorism: the three Ws---wooziness, wetness and wackiness.) A tube with a valve, which can be regulated by magnet once implanted in the skull, is inserted in the skull, carried down under her skull to an incision in the neck and then passes down to the abdomen where there is a third insert. This shunt drains excessive water away from surrounding the brain to where it can be passed from the body. The operation has a high success rate; in fact, we know several people who have done it successfully.

My wife is responding well. She has not complained about her three incisions but only about her knees and ankles. The ankles are probably arthritis, and she is now able to start taking her regular medication for that. The knees must have been the result of twisting in bed post-op or at some point. An orthopedic p.a. in the hospital drained her swollen knees and gave her steroid injections, so they are much improved.

She is already feeling steadier, although this improvement will be a gradual process. The major emphasis in rehab is to rebuild her strength in body and mind (I think her mind is pretty damned good at this point). The horror of loss of balance has weakened her significantly, plus the debilitating effect is a real downer mentally. My English-born wife was a wonderful tennis player and all-around athlete, which adds to her frustrations. Obviously, in her eighties, she is not going to Wimbledon, but we all want to see her be able to resume a relatively active life style, such as, for example, being able to take walks on our beautiful beaches. She has been on a cane and then a walker for some time. Our family and friends would love to see her be able to walk unassisted and, ultimate dream, be able to play doubles occasionally.

She has a challenge ahead of her, but, with the cumulative effect of love, prayer and determination, she will do it. Girls who grew up in London in the war and the blitz are tough. We want her back enjoying the time she has left. That is my primary prayer.

AN AMERICAN TRAGEDY

"Our most saddening and sobering finding is the total disregard for the safety and welfare of Sandusky's child victims by the most senior leaders at Penn State," said Louis Freeh, the former director of the FBI who was hired by university trustees to look into what has become one of sports' biggest scandals. "The most powerful men at Penn State failed to take any steps for 14 years to protect the children who Sandusky victimized.


That says it all, the sad and damning summary of the Freeh report on the Penn State scandal and tragedy.

It is also a commentary on our times where so often the credo “Image is Everything” is the prevailing philosophy. All the bigwigs at Penn State, President Spanier, V.P. Schulz, Athletic Director Curley and the legendary Coach Joe Paterno all were involved in the cover-up in the name of protecting the image of the university. The tragic consequences of their deceptive actions have affected too many lives by allowing the predator, Jerry Sandusky, to carry on his bestial sexual activity.

Joe Paterno was a living legend for so long that we are still incredulous. We have heard so often the tales of his “students and character first, football second” that it became a national mantra. Now the myth is destroyed. It is a great tragedy but dwarfed by the effects of his and other’s negligence in allowing Sandusky to seek prey, which created the worst tragedy in the many lives affected.

Can we learn from this horrible lesson? I hope so. Too many people, companies, bankers, politicians et. al. are prone to hiding or avoiding the truth in order to protect their images.

The Penn State affair is vivid testimony of the tragic consequences.

A GAME WITH WHICH I'M NOT FAMILIAR

Just in time for the the last few days of Wimbledon, I got a 47" Vizio LCD-LED HD TV. I was even able to record the first part of the final today while we were at church. I figured it was about time I joined the modern world.

Andy Murray, with the crushing weight of British expectations on his shoulders, acquitted himself full bore and valiantly. He made some magnificent shots, played may close games, one of which took sixteen minutes and twelve deuces, fell or slipped to the ground three times and did everything an athletic human could do---and still lost in four sets.

Many years ago at the Masters, the great Bobby Jones, by this time confined to a wheel chair, made the winner's presentation in the cottage at the Masters. Jack Nicklaus beat Arnie Palmer with an incredible display of golf. Bobby Jones said to Arnold Palmer, the previous year's winner and thereby ready to assist Jack Nicklaus donning the green jacket, "Arnold, you played a game that normally should have won." He turned to Jack Nicklaus and stated, "Mr. Nicklaus, you play a game with which I'm not familiar." Jack Nicklaus said he almost choked on the spot. It is one of the world's great compliments.

Well, ladies and gentlemen, may I turn to Roger Federer and repeat: "Mr. Federer, you play a game with which I'm not familiar." This match displayed Roger Federer as an athletic artist supreme. He floated around the court, even more smoothly that ever, and made a dazzling array and variety of shots: bullets to the corners, unplayable drop shots, crisp volleys, explosive overheads, overpowering forehands and backhands---the whole schmeer. Mr. "Has-Been", who had not one a major in two and a half years, won the biggest and is now ranked number one in the world again, tying Pete Sampras for most weeks on top and equalling his seven Wimbledon victories. Hooray for the "over-the-hill" gang!

We are blessed in this modern era to have three super-stars in Djokovich, Nadal and Federer (the order of their ranking prior to Wimbledon). At least for a few more shining moments in an athletic lifetime of them, Roger Federer shines brighest of all as number one and secured his place as the greatest of all times with seventeen major titles. It was a joy to watch.

THE NEW LOOK IS HERE

I  hope you are having a good Fourth of July---light a cracker for me!

My youngest daughter, Lindsay, and her elder son, Drew are visiting. All my daughters are in rotating visits prior to my wife having shunt surgery next Monday to relieve water on the brain which has caused severe balance problems. This type surgery has a high success rate, so we are hopeful that it will do the trick for my wife.

My grandson, Drew, is a computer whiz, and he told me it was time to make some changes in my music on my blog  and, while he was doing that, incorporating my musical selections, we got the idea of changing the format of the blog. Keep up with the times, don't get stuck in a rut, so voila, here we go.

You can choose the song(s) you want to hear and then read the blog. Let me know if you like it or not. The times, they are a 'changin!

DOING THE RIGHT THING

Well, would you believe it? I was dead certain the Supreme Court would come up with another 5-4 decision, conservatives over liberals, against the health bill. My respect for Chief Justice Roberts as an independent thinker rose considerably. Certainly, his credentials were always impressive, but I thought his inherent conservatism would make him join the other, but objectivity and sense of law prevailed.

Do you think our recalcitrant congress might earn a lesson from this example? I doubt it, but, in Hamlet's words, " 'tis a consummation devoutly to be wished". Wouldn't it be wonerful if congressman could sit down now, carefully examine the health care law and find a bipartisan basis to fix it?

I woner how the Fred Astaire of the political right, our presumptive Republican candidate for President, will tap dance around this one? I can't wait for Romney to debate Obama and answer the question the President should pose as to why, as Governor of Massachusetts, he was for and enacted a health care bill very similar to Obamacare but now cannot accept it, the very model of political inconsistency and idiosyncracy.

In any case, the law survives, albeit with limitations. Can Washington find a compromise? Probably not, but hope springs eternal and all that jazz!

THE TRUE NATURE OF THINGS POLITICAL

“The whole experience makes me want to pull aside politicians and business leaders and maybe everyone else and offer some pious advice: Don’t try to be everyman. Don’t pretend you’re a member of every community you visit. Don’t try to be citizens of some artificial globalized community. Go deeper into your own tradition. Call more upon the geography of your past. Be distinct and credible. People will come.”



These wise words were the final paragraph of a column in the New York Times by David Brooks, one of my favorite columnists. He had written this column about attending Bruce Springsteen concerts in Spain with a group (or should it be groupie?) of friends. He noted 50,000 Spanish concertgoers of all ages screaming with Bruce, “Born in the USA”. He took this incident and built upon it as an example of “paracosms”, internal worlds of comfort and stability that we build in order to learn to deal with reality. These Spanish fans, in their minds, were one with Bruce Springsteen and “born in the USA”, a collective reality they built together. From there Brooks went on to explain how we “particularize” experiences drawn from our own background and how these experiences help us to deal with the world. He decries the globalized non-specific thinkers of today who don’t relate their experiences to life and live in fuzzy abstractions.


How this applies to our Presidential candidates. Don’t try to be an amorphous everyman and to fit everybody’s criteria; rather, take a position of showing who you are and what you are. Mitt Romney, who probably is a moderate centrist in his core, is trying to be all things to all conservatives in his party, playing up to the far right constituency. Obama is equally guilty of composing a synthetic personality comprised of diverse parts, being a friend to liberals and a safe centrist to the middle so that he can attract enough moderate independents and disaffected Republicans to pull off a repeat election. Trying to be all thing to all people is hypocritical and wrong.


Be yourselves, boys, and let it all hang out. I think it is possible people might come. Let’s see what would happen if they exposed their true natures.

HOW NOT TO SUCCEED IN BUSINESS

The LGBT did not advance their cause yesterday by one of the invited guests at the White House flipping twin birds at a portrait of Ronald Reagan. Mind you, I understand that Reagan was, to put it mildly, not a favorite of the gay community in his unfeeling stance about AIDS. If you are trying to convince straight America that the gay community should be accepted as a part of America---which it is---that is not a very good job of p.r.in winning converts to your cause.


I have never been homophobic, having had many gay friends throughout my long life. I have always cringed, however, when I see blatant examples of gay pride going over the top, like floats in gay pride parades showing gay couple simulating sexual contact, which is an infantile way to "promote" your cause. March in a parade, fine, but don't make a billboard of your sexuality.I don't give a damn what anyone does in the privacy of his or her bedroom: simply don't force your views on me.


The LGBT is winning the battle of acceptance. Like Civil Rights, it is not quick enough for those seeking full rights. But flipping birds in theWhite House does not win friends and influence people and only sets back the cause. I realize such incidents are rare and that the vast majority of gays and lesbians go about their business of seeking acceptance and fitting into daily life.


Be smart, LGBT. Just keep on fighting the good fight.

QUO VADIS

I have read several articles from a variety of sources regarding character and the lack of moral values so prevalent today.  I suppose philosophers and moralists throughout history have decried this problem, but I must say I, too, am concerned with who and where we are today.


It seems our moral compasses are somehow out of kilter and skewing wildly, leading us to bad decisions and bad places. Right choices seem rarer, and expediency and the easy course seem to be winning out in too many situations.


Look at some of today's news. Take the Sandusky case. If only a few key people had done the right thing at the right time years ago, this whole mess might have been stopped with the tragic implications of lives ruined or marred. There still would have been pain and loss but to a much lesser extent. Or the Roger Clemens trial. A poor presentation  and mishandling of the case by the government has freed Clemens, although in the court of public opinion he is overwhelmingly guilty. The implications of a baseball hero who corrupted the rules and his talent is an all too frequent story today.  Or a variety of banking and business scandals where morality was thrown out the window in the name of greater profits, even if the majority of people were hurt badly in the process. And, of course, we have many congresspeople who put self-interest ahead of public interest time and time again.


Easy choices, wrong choices, arrogant choices all add up to leaving us wandering in limbo. A moral fog seems to have enveloped us, and we can't see our way clear. We need to reorient that moral compass.


Quo vadis---where are we going?  We need some direction to the right places. I hope we find it before it's too late.

LA VITA CORPORATA

The Big Guy, guest columnist on Grumpy's blog, wrote a good one today about the firing of a very capable man in a large corporation and the shabby way in which it was done.

I have been long retired, but I have experienced the machinations and calloused ways of big corporations. I sold my small private company years ago to a conglomerate and saw some of the dunder-headed decisions made by reputedly smart businesses. The conglomerate that took over my company wanted to become a powerhouse in the sporting goods business and had purchased several small but viable companies to achieve that end. Within fifteen years, the whole sporting goods division was gone,the main reason being a total lack of marketing sense. They did have an established industrial division and managed to hold that together long enough to merge with a bigger, hugely successful industrial conglomerate.

When the conglomerate took over my company, we had begun to develop strength in the skiwear market with ski underwear and turtlenecks. The conglomerate had bought another small distributor of fashion skiwear made in Austria. This distributor was doing $400,000 in the American market, a quarter of a million of which was with one customer---not a healthy state of affairs. The conglomerate dropped the distributor and turned over to us the distribution of this Austrian fashion line, and in a three year period we built it up to over three million dollars with future prospects continuing to climb. Let me add, this was over thirty years ago, and three million was a healthy sum.

The conglomerate had a three-year contract with the Austrian ski-fashion company. Then the Chairman of the conglomerate, in his infinite wisdom, made the unilateral decision to terminate the contract because "he didn't like the Nazi son-of-a-bitch who ran the company". I argued with him that I knew how to handle "the Nazi son-of-a-bitch" and that we could be doing five to six million within a year or two. (The Austrian owner was actually a good guy underneath but had that Teutonic stubborn streak. When we used to go at it, I would finally say, "O.K., are you ready for World War III?" He would break up laughing and then we would get things done.)

In spite of my arguments to keep the line and reach dramatically increased sales, which were highly profitable as well, the chairman said no. Another American distributor took over the sales, and guess what? In two years they were doing six million!

After this experience I said to myself: hey, old boy, you've lost control of your destiny, I think it's time to move on and began to make plans to leave and start another business, which I did a year later. The conglomerate was not unhappy, because they liked "their own people" anyway.

The moral of this story is: Business decisions are frequently not rational but based on emotion and personality. And they certainly can be cold-blooded, as well as irrational. Live and learn.