Columbia Gas Logic

In an effort to save money and energy, consumers turn down their thermostats and make other energy-saving concessions. But then Columbia Gas is selling less gas and is making less money. So what happens? Columbia Gas raises their rates.  Face it consumers, we have to pay the animal its pound of flesh each day, no matter the sacrifices we might make. 

Is the Catholic Church Becoming Less "catholic"?

The New York Times over the weekend observed: "A theologian resigned to the church's diminished status in a secular world, Pope Benedict has favored a smaller church of more ardent believers over a larger one with looser faith." To most of us, that means he is trying to downsize, become more insular, more fundalmentalist, and less "catholic."

This NYT observation followed Pope Benedict XVI's decision to revoke the excommunications of four bishops involved in the schism of a French archbishop, Marcel Lefebvre, who in 1970 protested against the reforms of the Second Vatican Council. In 1988 Lefebvre "consecrated" four men bishops. Pope John Paul II promptly excommunicated all five of them. In the meantime, Lefebvre passed away, but last week Pope Benedict decided to revoke the excommunications, apparently in an attempt to bring the far-right, fundalmentalists back into the folds of the church.

Although that action in itself raises many questions, the inclusion of Richard Williamson, a British born cleric who recently said he did not believe that 6 million Jews died in the Nazi gas chambers, has infuriated many Catholics, not to mention Jewish groups around the world.

And that brings to mind that in 2006 Pope Benedict offended Muslims around the world by quoting a medieval scholar who called Islam "evil and inhuman."

This papal willingness to offend Jews and Muslims while at the same time encouraging the fundalmentalist, right-wing aspects of the Church will in fact drive away large numbers of mainstream Catholics.

The word "catholic" has always meant--and I quote Webster's Unabridged Dictionary--"universal; general; all inclusive; liberal; not narrow-minded..." Now we have a pope who welcomes the so-called "traditionalists" into the fold although such action excludes the attitudes of the mainstream--the core of the Church who celebrated the Second Vatican Council; a pope who is comfortable insulting Jews by exonerating Richard Williamson; and a pope who in 2006 insulted the Muslim Faith. If he in truth is trying to create a smaller, more insular, fundalmentalist church, he is making the right moves, but he should stop referring to it as the "catholic" church. His church is not "catholic." His church is not "universal; general; all-inclusive; liberal; not-narrow-minded..."

In Boston, Toledo, and in dioceses all across the US, the Catholic hierarchy is closing parish after parish to raise money ( perhaps to offset the lawsuits resulting from the crimes of pedophilic priests). The disinfranchised parishoners who have supported these parishes for years are questioning how "catholic" the church of Pope Benedict really is. Such down-sizing is not in the tradition of the Catholic Church or in the spirit of true "catholicism."

Food Safety

Why has our government decreased the number of food inspectors in the last twenty years? Why have the cases of serious food contamination---beef, spinach, chicken, and now peanut butter---increased the last twenty years?

Congratulations to Bowling Green native, Alissa Czisny, on winning the US Figure Skating Championships in Cleveland this past weekend!

Sandy

Sandy is my closest, dearest friend, and that works out well since she is also my dear wife. There is a lot to be said for sharing your life with the person who is your initimate friend and also your wife. It has and is working quite well for us. In fact, the last eleven years we actually worked together, and I must say that we made a pretty good team.

We both like to travel, and we both enjoy coming home afterward. Hilton Head Island feels like our second home since we end up there at least once or twice a year. But our favorite place of all is our own back porch. In spring, summer, and fall, weather permitting, we spend our time together there--even eating our meals there.

We both enjoy tennis and golf. In the winter, now that our bodies rebel against cold weather, we frequently play golf or bowl a few frames on Nintendo Wii. But I must admit, Sandy misses the "real" thing-- the game version does not allow her to take her famous "do-overs." We both like to write, and of course, to read, and to share what we read. One of the things we don't share is Sandy's fondness for and skill at painting--whether on canvas or glass.

In the evenings, we have been known to celebrate "happy hour" with a martini while we solve the world's problems. It's amazing that a martini can generate so much wisdom. (We think Barack Obama should serve martinis during his cabinet meetings to tap in on that huge reservior of wisdom.) Although Sandy devours the New York Times, does crossword and sudoku puzzles, knits caps, scarves and sweaters, her forte is cooking. Her Cajun grandfather taught her at a very early age, and she has been developing her repertoire ever since. She enjoys finding and "tweaking" a great recipe more than winning the lottery. Family and friends all agree, she is an excllent cook--I would say, chef, but she would take exception to that.

All these things being said, she is first and foremost a loving mother and grandmother. She is elated when the children and grandchildren are happy; she is devastated when they are experiencing a "tough patch."

Whose Recession?

I understand that Rush Limbaugh, even before the inauguration, was referring to our present economic disaster as "Obama's Recession." What world does he live in? Is he still taking those pain-killers? The Crawford Cowboy inherited a balanced budget and then in eight years time spent 1.7 trillion dollars and kicked other costs down the road to be paid later.  As with the other Bush mistakes, he and his crony, Rush, do not want to accept responibilty for their actions.

Adam & Papa Ron

Adam is two - almost three - years old and I am ......whatever, but we are buddies. We don't go out to bars together, but we do play golf together in the basement. We are both Cleveland Brown fans--he fogot his Browns shirt--and we are smiling because we are eternal optimists. We both like trains that go in circles and crash into each other. Adam drinks apple jiuce and I drink vodka. We both like books and cartoons. Adam likes to get in the water and swim, and I like to sit by the pool and appreciate the young ladies in their bikinis. We both love the beach and the ocean, the sand and the sounds. They speak to us and we understand. And we never discuss religion, sex, or politics. From time to time, we have our disagreements, but thay are minor. We also love the same women, but that is not a source of conflict. He is from Guatemala by way of Ohio; I am from Germany (3rd generation) by way of Ohio; but the important thing is he is my grandson and I am his grandpa or papa. He has a wonderful mom and great dad; I have a wonderful daughter and great son-in-law. That works out well for both of us. Adam attends Montessori school and enjoys his friends. I hang out at the tennis club and enjoy my friends. One of Adam's best friends is his dog, Skyler; I am allergic to dogs, but since Skyler is Adam's friend, she is my friend. Oh, and by the way, we both like to take naps, wrestle on the livingroom floor, and scare grandma. And then, there is food. We both love it--does that make us gourmets? We like our beef, chicken, pork and potatoes, but we also love Teddy Grahams, pop tarts, cookies, cake, and ice cream.

Born Again American

Bill Moyer's Journal on PBS (1/15/09) made reference to Norman Lear's attempt to encourage Americans to reread the Decalaration of Independence---our nation's birth certificate--and recommit to its principles.

In that context, the show provided a few clips of a song written by Kieth Carradine, Born Again American, sung by a variety of musicians across the Country. It apparently will be featured at various Inauguration activities.

If you would like to listen, go to: www.bornagainamerican.org

What Wall St. Hath Wrought?

With the exit of the Bush Adminisration and the near collapse of the US economy, perhaps we can ring the death knell for laissez faire capitalism once and for all.

The Wall St. geniuses, in all their wisdom, told us, the unwashed public, that greed is good and the competing forces of greed will hold each other in check. Let's examine what unfettered capitalism hath wrought.

#1. The Home Mortage Collapse: Wall St. and the investment banks had an abundance of investors with a large pool of cash. The Treasury was paying one per cent--not an enticing prospect for that money. Meanwhile, the average home mortage was generating 5 to 7 per cent--a much more desirable return for the investor. The geniuses devised a method of making the home mortages available to "the large pool of money." From the local bamks around the country, they bought up home mortages, combined them, and sold parts of the resulting whole around the world. Great. Investors had a good, steady return on their money, and as more money became available, more and more people could find low-interest and no down payment loans. This created a demand for more home construction. And the rest is history. Once the house of cards started to fall, the whole structure collapsed and the investment community was holding stacks of "toxic" paper.

The Bush Administration, meanwhile, did not want government regulators interferring. One of their cheif economic advisers said: free markets will regulate themselves; the best thing government can do is to get out of the way.

#2. The Credit Crisis & Collapse of Financial Institutions: Even during the actual implosion of the housing market, free-market capitalists both inside and outside the administration were telling us that the economy is sound. Candidate John McCain was still reassuring us in the summer of 2008 as investment banks and brokerage firms were in melt-down mode. As a result, banks could not trust each other because no one could be certain as to any bank's level of toxicity. Needless to say, the credit sources locked their vaults.

#3. The Inflated Cost of Gasoline: Not surprisingly, when the cost of gasoline went over $4 a gallon, the cost of everything from food to airline tickets increased. When congress questioned the big-oil company executives and Wall St. geniuses to explain this unrealistic spike, they were told that it was the result of "supply and demand"--a natural phenomenon in free markets. But now we know that they were throwing up a smoke screen. In fact, prices were increasing at the same time demand was decreasing and supply was increasing. So what was causing this unrealistic increase? We now have learned it was speculation in the futures market--another sector of the economy that had been deregulated!

#4. The Bernard Madoff Scandal: As we have learned, he was able to operate a 50 billion-dollar scam right under the nose of the SEC which investigated him on two occasions and found no problem. When investors and charities lose 50 billion dollars, most of us wonder how this can happen in 2008 in the United States--this is not the wild west in gold-rush days or some former USSR country struggling with getting democracy right. You would have thought that the deregulators in the Bush administraton and the Wall St. gurus would have been embarrassed by this rip-off. No, not at all. It was the investor's fault; they should have been more vigilant! (It's the "Cheney Defense." Rember the time he was hunting with a friend and shot him in the face with his shotgun. It was not Cheney's fault; it was the fault of the victim. He was standing too close to "Quick Draw" Cheney). The deregulators in the administration and the SEC apparently found it inappropriate to examine how he was able to pay returns significantly above those of legitimate companies.

Perhaps when Presidents Carter and Reagan began the era of deregulation, it was appropriate; but it is now quite clear that it has gone too far. Unregulated capitalism does not work. When the Europeans pointed this out to us, we scoffed. Let's hope with a new administration, our country get's it right and strikes "a happy balance."

Bush Quotes

As he leaves the oval office, I must recall my 2 favorite George Bush quotations:

"The future will be tomorrow."

"If we don't succeed, we run the risk of failure."

And some question whether he was one of the duller knives in the drawer.

Hilton Head Mysteries Revisited

Since two people have emailed me asking which is my favorite Kathyn R. Wall novel, I am going to presume that there is a plethora of readers out there who are dying to learn the answer.

And the answer is: Sanctuary Hill (2007). Bay Tanner and her usual cast of characters are as interesting as ever, but in this mystery, the local color of the South Carolina LowCountry seems to come alive more than ever. In addition, the various strands of the story all come together in a cohesive, logical, satisfying conclusion.

If you are going to read just one of Ms. Wall's Bay Tanner novels. I reccommend Sanctuary Hill. Enjoy!

The Immigration Issue

Although the issue of immigration reform has, of necessity, taken a back seat to the collapsing economy, it is a problem very much in need of fixing. Twelve million undocumented immigrants live in the United States today (source: Pew Hispanic Foundation). In most case they have come here to reunte with family members already here or to find work which will provide support for their families back home. The existing system forces them to live in the shadows as they work in jobs that would go unfilled.



Unfortunately, this situation has divided the country along conservative/liberal lines. The ultra Conservatives, apparently fearing the "brown people" will take over, want to send the 12 million immigrants back to where they came from, and to build a Berlin-type wall to prevent any more from entering the US. The ultra liberals apparently want to welcome and grant US citizenship to every person able to cross our southern border. Neither of these positions is going to solve the problem.



Recently I came across the the reccommendations of the US Catholic bishops in reference to comprehensive immigration reform. It includes:

A. Legalize permanent residency of the undocumented of all nationalities.

B. Develope a system to allow family members to reunite with loved ones in the United States.

C. Provide legal pathways for migrants to come and work in a safe, humane, and orderly manner.

D. Abandon the border "blockade" enforcement strategy.

E. Restore due process protections for the immigrants.



The document also addresses some of the distortions about who undocumented immigrants are and what they want. The oft-repeated propoganda is that undocu'mented workers don't pay taxes. As a matter of fact, they pay billions of dollars in sales, income, and property taxes yearly--directly if they own and indirectly if they rent. According to the Social Security Administration (SSA), undocumented workers pay as much as $7 billion in Social Security and Medicare taxes each year and have contributed as much as a half-trillion dollars since 1984.

Some say immigrants don't want to learn English. The fact is 91% of second-generation immigrants are fluent or near fluent English speakers. 3rd generation is 97% fluent. These rates are similar to those of Italian and German immigrants.

Many say we must close our borders to prevent another 9/11. Seventeen of the 19 terrorists were here legally. If we create an organized system for workers to enter legally. we will at least know who is coming in, resulting in a much safer nation.

Perhaps the ideas of the US Catholic bishops can provide a basis for real immigration reform.

Elizabeth Alexander

Many of us recall that cold noon in Washington when Robert Frost, shivering, recited his poem, "The Gift Outright," at John Kennedy's Inauguration. That was one of four times a president asked a poet to participate in the ceremony. On Tuesday, January 20th, after Barack Obama takes the oath, another poet, Elizabeth Alexander, will have to honor of reciting a poem she has written for the occasion.


I have copied "Ars Poetica #28" below as an example of her poetry. If interested, you can acquaint your self with her and her work by visiting the "Elizabeth Alexander" homepage---elzabethalexander.net./home.html


Ars Poetica #28: African Leave-Taking Disorder

The talk is good. The two friends linger
at the door. Urban crickets sing with them.

There is no after the supper and talk.
The talk is good. These two friends linger

at the door, half in, half out,‘til one
decides to walk the other home. And so

they walk, more talk, the new doorstep, the
nightgowned wife who shakes her head and smiles

from the bedroom window as the men talk
in love and the crickets sing along.

The joke would be if the one now home
walked the other one home, where they started,

to keep talking, and so on: “African
Leave-Taking Disorder,” which names her children

everywhere trying to come back together and talk.

Hilton Head Mysteries

Some of my friends, my wife, and I have had the good fortune to stumble upon the mysteries of Kathryn R. Wall, a retired accountant from Ohio who lives on Hilton Head Island and writes entertaining mysteries, filled with a fair share of the island's local color.

The plots are well-concieved and engaging, but it is the characters and the atmosphere of the Soth Carolina Lowcountry that set her novels apart from the many other mysteries. The main character, Bay Tanner, who somewhat accidentally becomes a private investigator, is an independent, intelligent, & willful widow who interacts with a cast of other interesting and unique characters.

Although, to date, Wall has written eight Bay Tanner thrillers with a variety of ingenious plots, they are not readily available in the big-box bookstores outside of the Lowcountry. But one can easily find them on the internet at amazon.com and similar sites.

A Bush Farewell Address?

Are you kidding me? Who does he think he is? George Washington? The networks need to give him a 30 second spot because all we want to hear is; "My fellow Americans, I am so very sorry for screwing up this great country."


This is just another attempt of a two-month campaign by this misguided administration's spin doctors to rewrite and revise an 8-year disaster.