GOP Needs a New Candidate

"Is there no one else?"

After last night's GOP presidential debate at Dartmouth, NH, it became obvious the Grand Old Party needs  new blood and in particular a candidate capable of leading the country. The debate not only lacked substance, but without Sarah Palin was downright boring.


While the country is suffering from lack of jobs and the erosion of the middle class. Rick Santorum's and Mitt Romney's solution is to beat up on China. That's good, try to find a foreign villain in order to keep the spotlight off of Wall Street and the American plutocrats. Romney does have a 150 page proposal for the country, but it is a rehash of the failed policies of George Bush and friends.


And then there's Newt Gingrich who wants to arrest and imprison Democratic congressmen and senators. Now that's a solution! Is there anyone who thinks this guy could lead our country?


Herman Cain is the only one who  has offered a somewhat simple and specific plan -- the 9-9-9 plan. He would institute a flat rate of 9 per cent for the federal income taxes, a 9  per cent national sales tax, and a 9 percent corporate tax. This, he says without explanation, would solve our deficit problems and create jobs. Despite its simplistic appeal, this plan would punish the low income citizens and reward the high income folks. An all-too typical GOP proposal.


Michele Bachmann who really doesn't have a plan suggests that Cain's 9-9-9 plan is devilish because 999 turned upside down is "666." Good one, Michele! Jon Huntsman attacks and ridicules Cain's plan by saying he thought it referred to 'the price of pizza" -- apparently a reference to the fact that Herman Cain was the CEO of the Godfather Pizza company. We can be thankful he didn't ask, "Where's the beef?"


Since Ron Paul is not worried about unemployment and the middle class, he was rambling on about the wisdom of some Austrian economists.


Rick Perry was a confused bystander throughout the debate. I think he was dreaming about "shootin" critters at his West Texas hunting camp.


The evening was not too encouraging either for the GOP or the country.

Sarah Palin is not Running - The Whole Story

In Wasilla, Alaska, on October 5, 2011 Sarah Palin announced the she would not seek the GOP nomination for President of the United States. Her statement, although vague, suggested that her reason for not running was based on family concerns. Although we can all appreciate that running for President can create problems for the candidate's family, I am suggesting there may have been some other reasons:


1. Someone informed her that being President involves more work than being Governor of Alaska.
2. And to make matters worse, she learned that the President's salary is only $400,000. She can make that much giving three or four speeches to Tea Party faithful.
3.In exchange for not running, Rick Perry invited her to do "some shootin"at his West Texas hunting camp, and perhaps an opportunity to rub the "Niggerhead" rock.
4. Not to be outdone, Mitt Romney offered to arrange a guest appearance for her with the Morman Tabernacle Choir.
5. As President she would have to live in Washington D.C. and give up her backyard view of Russia.
6. If elected President, at Thanksgiving, she would be expected to pardon the White House turkey instead of "shootin the critter."
7. If elected, she was looking forward to being the chair of the "Death Panel" until she was informed there is no such panel and that she was the one who fabricated the idea.
8. By not running, Sarah avoids the whole hassle of quitting after getting elected. She didn't want to go through that "Alaska thing" again.
9. She heard rumors that the TV networks do not pay the President for news conferences and the State of the Union address.
10. She would rather continue working for Rupert Murdoch because then she can tap phones without court approval.
11.She was informed that as President she would have to read a daily stack of security briefings. No way! She doesn't even read newspapers.
12. And a real shocker was that she learned the President does not have the power to "refudiate" the rulings of the U.S Supreme Court. Damn, I can't refudiate Roe v. Wade?
13.The military would look askance at attacking Katie Couric with a drone aircraft.
14. She was surprised to learn that she might encounter a problem in appointing Charles Koch chairman of the Energy Department and his brother, David, head of the Environmental Protection Agency. I owe those boys!
15. But the real deal-killer: she could not market her brand by renaming Air Force One "Lady Grizzly."

By way of a disclaimer, I must admit Sarah Palin has not discussed this topic with me. If the truth be known, we are not close. On the other hand, I am disheartened that she is not running. Without her,  the GOP presidential race is not going to be as much fun.

Unemployment Solution?

Thankfully the recent Great Recession did not develop into a second Great Depression, but the country is still suffering from the effects of unemployment. In addition to the readily apparent ill effects of high unemployment, there are also long-range effects. A Brookings Institute study projects a wage loss of $112,000 over 25 years for those who lose their job during a recession. Since nearly 9 million jobs were lost, this amounts to $1 trillion in lost wages. ("Recessions and the Cost of Job Loss" Brookings Institute)


As history has demonstrated, government jobs programs and prolonged government spending are effective in counteracting unemployment, but such an approach is becoming politically quite difficult to achieve. On the other hand, there are other options we can pursue.


Having just returned from France, I have been considering their approach to employment. They seem to function quite well with a four-day work week while also enjoying vacations/holidays of four to five weeks. As a result French workers spend more time with their families in non-work related activities and are presumably more stress-free. Employment-wise, the result is that over a five-week period  2 workers are required to accomplish the same amount of work that 1 worker would accomplish on a five-day work week. In the course of a year 10 more workers would be employed and that is not taking into account the long vacation periods.


The first reaction of some Americans is to suggest that either the French are lazy or that such a system is inefficient and lowers the country's  level of productivity. The suggestion of laziness is absurd, but the concern over productivity needs to be considered.


As Americans, we take pride in our level of productivity and corporations are delighted that it continually increases. Fewer people doing more work! Perhaps it is time to question that paradigm. Why not have more
people doing more work? or God forbid, more people doing the same work?


Every American adult has at some time in his/her life come to the realization that  the quality of one's life often depends on balancing time vs. money. How well we balance the two often determines our opportunity for happiness.  The French, I submit, have chosen to sacrifice a little of the money in exchange for time. After all, the amount of time we have is a limited and precious commodity. We can't put time in a bank somewhere and expect it to gain interest. It is what it is. Money, on the other hand, may not be as precious. How much are we willing to sacrifice one for the other?


For capitalistic corporations, the time/money dilemma does not exist. As they are wont to say: it's all about the bottom line. Therefore they need to be convinced that they can make money by hiring more employees. In fact, there is some evidence that employees accomplish as much in a four-day week as they do in a five-day week. Granted, there will be additional administrative costs in having more employees,  but the benefits for the country and the over-all economy will off-set those costs. The company will have more workers who can then purchase their products.


 In a recent paper, "Work Sharing: The Quick Route Back to Full Employment", Dean Baker argued that "dividing up the existing work among more workers" appeared to be the only politically feasible way to increase employment more rapidly. Baker cited the example of Germany, whose aggressive work-sharing policy actually helped it to reduce its unemployment 0.4 per cent since the start of the downturn, in sharp contrast to a 4.4 per cent increase in the US.


Mr. Baker also points out that workers spend hours a day commuting. In the big picture, a four-day work week would be a 20 per cent time savings-- a benefit on so many levels. The time saved  could then be used as the worker chooses.


Obviously the 4-day work week is not a new idea. It has been proposed frequently in the US,  but has never been widely embraced. Perhaps now, at a time when unemployment is strangling our country, some visionary leaders will seriously examine it. 


If the Europeans can successfully balance the time/income equation, I suspect that Americans could do so as well.  

Franco Zeffirelli's "Brother Sun, Sister Moon"...

October 4th was the feast of St. Francis of Assisi.


In honor of  his feast, please enjoy a few clips from the Franco Zeffirelli film, Brother Sun, Sister Moon (1972). Music: Donovan






Thanks for the clips and the reminder, "Perspective."

September in Paris

Young Lovers in Paris
on September Evening

Having recently spent 15 days in Paris, I can share the following observations:


1. As  billed, Paris is a beautiful, elegant, cosmopolitan city with fine food and wine.
2. Contrary to some reports, the people of Paris are gracious and accommodating.
3. As for language problems, many Parisians speak English and are quite helpful to tourists who speak little or no French.
4. Paris has more than its fair share of attractive women.
5. Parisians are always well-dressed, even if they are grocery shopping.
6. The "Metro" (subway) system is first class. With minimal walking, one can travel from any part of the city to any other part. 
7. Paris is expensive. Sandy and I each had a cup of coffee at a cafe near St. Sulpice and the bill was 11 euros ($15.40), tip included. We presumed we were paying for the location and atmosphere. Although this experience was an isolated incident, prices are generally quite high.
8. The striking architecture is so omnipresent that eventually even tourists begin to take it for granted.
9. Although excellent French wine is available everywhere, most cafes, bistros, and restaurants have a wide variety of  good European beers. Many locals as well as tourists will have a beer or two at lunch and maybe even at dinner.
10. Paris does not need any more museums, particularly art museums. The existing art museums cover every possible genre including erotic art.
11. The above applies as well to churches, cathedrals, and basilicas. Although an overabundance of Gothic, Romanesque,  and Byzantine  churches, all old and frequently beautiful, are scattered throughout the city, not many Parisians attend Mass.
12. If one wants to live in Paris as a street beggar, he/she will need a dog,  or better yet,  two dogs. Apparently it is an unwritten rule of the street.
13. And speaking of  animals, to my great delight, I never saw a cat in the whole city.
14. The French speak softly. Even when two are engaged in a heated discussion, neither raises his voice. Conversations are quiet and private.
15.The French are not shy about combining the ultra modern with the very old. Considerer the Louvre or the Orsay Museums as examples. Hotels rooms in very old chateaus will feature the latest design in bathroom furnishings.
16. Paris has a fine selection of Cuban cigars -- a treat for deprived Americans.
17. Although they may look the same, the "French Fries" in Paris are much better than any I have had in the US.
18. Ham and cheese sandwiches (croques) are ubiquitous.
19. Young adults (teenagers) do not travel in packs as they do in the US.
20. Quasimodo no longer inhabits the bell tower of Notre Dame. I checked.


I have to add two more observations:
 I did not see any work-out facilities in Paris. Apparently Parisians do not need them because they do so much walking and climb so many steps as part of their daily life. I did see many runners in the parks, and many people use bicycles both for transportation and sport.
Eye glass frames are a fashion item in Paris and there are "optical shops" everywhere.

Gender Equality in Pro Tennis?

As is only just and fair, women deserve equal pay for equal work


The question is: should women receive the same pay as men when they do not have to work as much as their male counterparts? And if they are paid the same for less work does that not demean women by suggesting that they are unable to put forth the same amount of effort as their male colleagues?


The issue pertains to professional women's tennis. At the four major tennis tournaments, the women are paid the same as the  men, but the women play "the-best-of-three set" matches while the men are required to play the "the-the-best-of-five-set" matches. The difference is significant on many levels. First of all, there is the issue of the time and energy required to play a "best-of-five-set" match, many of which can last up to five or more hours.If Serena Williams wins two sets, perhaps in an hour and fifteen minutes , she is in the locker room taking a relaxing shower. On the other hand, if Raphael Nadal wins two sets, he faces the prospect of playing three more sets before going to the showers with a loss. If,  in this scenario, Serena wins and Rafa loses, he has entertained tennis fans much longer  than Serena, but receives less compensation. Not exactly equal!


And then there is the question: would the woman who wins two sets be the winner if the match were a "best-of-five"?


No one I know would suggest that professional women tennis players should receive less compensation, but many would question why they do not play "the-best-of-five-sets" in the majors since they receive the same money as the men. Since there is no question that the women are more than capable of playing "the-best-of five-set" matches, one has to wonder why the tennis powers are so reluctant to adopt total equality.

GOP Working for Failure

Mitch McConnell & Michele Bachmann

Mitch McConnell of Kentucky, the leader of the Senate Republicans, has said that his party's job is to make sure that the President of the United States fails. Since then, Michele Bachmann, a Tea Party congresswoman from Minnesota, has adopted the same stance. 


Is this what our Founding Fathers had in mind? In their wildest dreams could they have ever imagined that a leading senator and a congresswoman running to become the Republican candidate for president would want the President of the United States, and therefore our country,  to fail in the cause of their own political ambitions?


Most Americans presume that when a senator or representative places his/her hand on the Bible and  takes the oath of office, she or he is committed to the "general welfare" of our country as stipulated in the in the Constitution of the United States of America. Apparently, for some Republican politicians, political gain is more important than the welfare of our country. 


Is it any wonder then that some Republicans brought the country to the edge of defaulting on its debt?


Whether one likes him or not, Barack Obama is the President of our country. If he fails, the country fails. When George W. Bush failed and did so repeatedly, our country suffered and still is suffering as a result. One would think it inconceivable that an official of our government who has taken an oath to "promote the general Welfare" (1st paragraph of the Constitution) would work for the failure of the President and the country. What is even more amazing is that McConnell and Bachmann voice this aloud.

Cablevision vs. Tennis Channel

In the middle of the 2011 US Open Tennis Tournament,  cable television companies across the country, including Buckeye Cablesystem in northwest Ohio, are not broadcasting the Tennis Channel.


In the real world most of us inhabit, it makes no sense for cable companies and the Tennis Channel to eliminate one of their largest audiences on Labor Day weekend. However, if you inhabit the world of corporate greed, it makes perfect sense. According to the New York Times (9/5/11) the Tennis Channel and the National Cable Television Cooperative have a new contract which requires Cablevision to place Tennis Channel on a broad, basic subscriber package. Prior to this Cable companies were offering Tennis Channel on a more expensive level of service, for example, part of a sports package. The Tennis Channel wants broader availability; cable operators want to continue charging extra fees. The result: subscribers who paid extra to view the Tennis Channel are not being served! Great example of "Corporate Think."


All of which goes to the heart of cablevision's "all-or-nothing" marketing. For years subscribers have pleaded with Congress to require cable operators to allow customers to choose and then pay for the channels they actually want. Why do customers have to pay for channels they never watch and never wanted? Personally, I could do without SPROUT, MTV, OXYGEN, GOD TV, and a hundred other channels I will never watch.


If viewers had the freedom to pick and choose what they wanted, this present fiasco with Tennis Channel and N.C.T.C.  would not exist. I would purchase  the Tennis Channel and my neighbor would purchase the Bullfighting Channel.

Sandy's Sazerac Recipe

Sazerac

Apparently there are many variations of the classic New Orleans drink, but the basics are similar. I am sharing Sandy's recipe because a number of friends have requested it after enjoying it before one of her Louisiana dinners. This recipe makes four drinks which can be prepared in advance and stored in the refrigerator.   


Sandy's Sazerac: one batch - 4 drinks of 3oz. each


8 oz. of Buffalo Trace Whiskey*
6 tsps. of sugar
1 tsp. of Peychauds Bitters
1 tsp. of Angostura Bitters
4 oz. of water


Mix the above items making sure the sugar dissolves. Taste at this point. Add more sugar if you prefer a sweeter taste. This mixture can be prepared in advance and stored in the refrigerator until one is ready to serve. Stir mixture again before pouring into the glass.


When serving, pour a little Pernod (or Abasinthe) into a glass, swish around to coat the interior of the glass and pour off the excess or pour into a second glass. Martini glasses work well since they are easily coated.


Pour 3 - 4 ounces into a glass and top off with a lemon twist.


*Rye whiskey may be substituted, and in certain locales, a specific "Sazerac Rye" is available.

PGA Tournament: Boring!

Based on the first three days of the PGA Golf Championship being played at the Atlantic Athletic Club, I would suggest that the PGA should refund the money of the fans, the sponsors,  the television networks, and the television advertisers because this tournament is downright BORING!


Give me a break! Anytime in 2011 one has Jim Furyk, Scott VerPlank, and Steve Stricker "fighting it out" with a bunch of guys who haven't made the cut in forever, one is dealing with a "Ho-Hum" event. I trust that some entrepreneurial individual is selling "PGA Pillows" to the fans who cannot stay awake to watch golfers "play safe" in the hope that the golf gods will reward them.


When Tiger Woods' 20 some sand bunkers and assorted water balls along with Rory McIllroy's shot off a gnarly tree root are the highlights of the first three days, one knows immediately that the rest of the play has not been exciting or interesting. However, the most confusing aspect is that it appears the PGA,  with the bizarre sand in the traps and an impossible par-four eighteenth hole, wanted it this way.


The bottom line, I presume, is that they wanted some good ole time golf -- BORING GOLF!


Of course the final round on Sunday could prove me wrong. I hope so, but I doubt it. Which of those contending golfers (Phil Mikelson excluded) is willing to take a serious risk and jeopardize their "safe" money?


In the interest of full disclosure, I should mention that I am in a golf pool based on the PGA and that I am currently in last place for this tournament with a score of "-30."  Perhaps that is a factor in my current condition of golf ennui.