Framing the Dialogue

Archive for June, 2009

A New Course For Our Country

You may not remember where you were when this bill was passed.  Most of the country was a twitter about Michael Jackson’s death.  Those of us in tune with politics did our screaming and yelling, but most Americans were busy listening as TV hosts speculated on how he died.  The timing was not good for Mr. Jackson, but could not have been better for the Obamacrats.

Here are some notable quotes:

“the most important energy and environmental legislation in the history of our country.  It sets a new course for our country, one that steers us away from foreign oil and towards a path of clean American energy.”

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Update – It’s All Relative

Living life is fun and we’ve just begun
To get our share of the world’s delights.

Update  June 30, 2009 – In a different twist on the “We Are Family” theme, Monica Conyers was a city councilwoman from Detroit.  I used the term “was” since she had to resign after pleading guilty to accepting a bribe from a contractor in return for her vote to award a lucrative contract to the firm. 

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Glenn Beck’s Common Sense

As I listened to  his program last week, Glenn and Stu were discussing, Glenn Beck’s Common Sense.  One thing that they were discussing grabbed me; our congressmen earn more than 95% of ALL American families.  In addition to the nice salary, they also provide themselves with such necessities as subsidized gym memberships, free parking in Washington, and even their own cafeterias.  These cafeterias are exclusive meaning you or I cannot eat there even though we are paying for it.  It is interesting that their salary always falls beneath any demagogued “rich” salary. 

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Country Wisdom & Know How

I am driving to meeting and listening to Glenn Beck go on and on about the end of our country as we know it.  This is really heavy stuff and I am getting more and more depressed and it is all that I can do not to drive headlong into a bridge abutment lest my head explode.  But I listen and I learn.  I think that Glenn’s next book should be titled “Not For the Squeamish.”

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Has Anybody Seen…

Has anybody here seen our old friend Harry?
Can you tell me where he’s gone?
He screwed a lot of people,
But it seems the pols. they hide now.
You know, I just looked around and he’s gone.

 

 

Anybody here seen our old friend Nancy?
Can you tell me where she’s gone?
She ticked off the CIA,
But it seems she just up and left town.
I just looked around and she’s gone.

 

 

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A Pressmas Carol – Chapter Three

This is Chapter Three of a three part short story on a Free Press

                                                    (Chapter One can be found here and Chapter Two here).

Charles was startled awake again from his sleep, but this time it was his alarm.  Charles never pushed the snooze button, but today he indulged himself.  He deserved another 8 minutes of sleep.  He remembered his dreams vividly, but did not comprehend the meaning behind the visits.  For some reason, he expected another ghostly apparition, but the third had not arrived and for that he was grateful.

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A Pressmas Carol – Chapter Two

This is Chapter Two of a three part short story on a Free Press

                                                                                (Chapter One can be found here).


“I’ll never eat curry again as long as I live.”  Charles whispered to himself as he began to think about Wednesday’s date with destiny, “I wonder if they’ll serve Kobe beef for lunch on Wednesday.”  Although it was late, Charles felt a little hungry.  He had heard about the weekly cocktail parties that the Enlightened One hosted.  Charles was a little envious as he had never been invited.  “I am sure to be included this week.” He thought, “I’ll be right there in the house.  They will be sure to invite me.”

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A Pressmas Carol – Chapter One

This is Chapter One of a three part short story on a Free Press.

Charles had a hard time sleeping that night.  Next Wednesday was a very big day for him as he had an important presentation to give.  He was not worried about what to say or how to fill the time allotted; that was all prearranged by the host.   He knew that the host’s staffers were busy vetting the “real people” who would be reading the carefully prepared questions. 

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The Grass Is Not Always Greener

As a father of three, it is always nice to see my children learn their lessons.  My wife and I often provided guidance, but sometimes they just knew best and had to try things their way.  There is a deep satisfaction when they knew what was best only to discover that Mom and Day were right.   You do not even have to say “I told you so” to get that satisfaction and, in fact, it is better to keep those words in your head.  Everybody knows it; the words are not necessary.

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Recipe For Disaster

As we were preparing for our daughter’s graduation party, I was looking for a recipe to make olive tapenade,  I came across this unusual Emanuel family recipe. 

This is a very adaptive recipe and you have been forced-fed this on numerous occasions.  The most recent adaptation of this recipe was the American Reinvestment and Recovery Act.  This doughbill weighed in at a hefty 1,100 pages to Rep. John Boehner’s dismay. 

 

Expected modifications to the recipe include Universal Healthcare, Gun Control, Fairness Doctrine, Comprehensive Immigration Reform, Cap & Trade, and Global Warming. 

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