Terms and Conditions

And the berries just keep blooming on the weed. A month ago, we were all talking anew about Benghazi, the IRS, the DOJ and the Associated Press, and the EPA. Now we have all of those plus the NSA and the State Department (again). Probably the only thing that surprises me at this point is the fact that these are being both investigated and reported. It is enough that I'm looking for a peaceful place on the internet to get away from all these stories, because even as a political junkie, it's getting harder to ignore the fact that the social compact between citizen and Government is taking some severe blows to the head. If there is such a safe haven, let me know so that I can buy some virtual real estate there.

Let's throw out some obvious truisms: "He who controls the information, controls the world." "Knowledge is power." Where does this information come from? It comes from us. We provide it willingly every time we sign our name to a form, click the box to accept "Terms and Conditions" from whatever service requires our registration, or otherwise entrust our personal information, numbers, emails, and SSNs to anyone who asks. It is an incredible act of trust to turn over our information in the hopes that the recipient of that information (corporate or government) will keep it private and use it only for the explicitly stated purpose for which it was required. But we do it, because we like our social media, we like our smart technologies, we like being able to see the doctor, have insurance, drive a car, go fishing, run a business, and be employed. To receive the requisite privileges, we are required to pay with our money and our personal information. We are by definition complicit, because we agree to these terms.

Are we due certain protections? I'd like to think so. But the fact that abuses occur like that of the IRS and possibly the NSA should surprise no one. And sadly, it is not at all clear that these abuses are technically illegal, although it may feel like they should be. The truth is that this oh-so-glorious Information Age has accelerated the evolution of the modern Surveillance State. Our information is no longer our own, and quite frankly, once you turn it over you can never get it back. You will never be able to elect a single politician who will champion, much less succeed, in rolling back the Surveillance State. The siren song of data is too alluring, too powerful, too deafening to be silenced. The citizen can at best minimize their exposure, but even this offers little protection.

I don't know how all of this is going to play out. There will be Congressional hearings, a season of wailing and gnashing, and quite possibly a major breakdown somewhere within the homeland and foreign security apparatus. But after a time, we'll all go back to our Facebook, our Twitter, our smartphones and our digital lives. Maybe we'll be a little wiser, or maybe not.

Why? Because we've already accepted the terms and conditions. The modern age is shiny. And we do like our shiny things. Unfortunately, so does he:

Been a Little Busy

Sorry for the infrequent posting here lately - lots of distractions are occupying my time these days, not the least of which is the effort to get the house completely finished so that we can once and for all sign our name and initials a thousand times on a set of mortgage papers. Things at work have also been a bit draining. In the end, while things are going okay, there simply hasn't been enough left in the tank for writing the past couple of months.

I hope to get to the point where I can stop, take a deep breath, and capture my thoughts. How soon I can get back into a rhythm, I'm not sure. But I'll get there. I thank you for your patience.

I'm attending the annual meeting of the North Alabama Conference of the United Methodist Church this week. During tonight's opening worship, we sang a hymn based on "O Waly Waly", an old, old folk song I wrote about here. Such a lovely, haunting tune, and now as I lay me down to sleep, its sweet melancholy strains are repeating in my mind over and over and over again. I suppose there are worse ways to fall asleep.

Peace to you all. I'll be back at this in a few days.

The Time For Debate is Over!

The battle has raged back and forth for years. Advocates for each side digging in their heals at the line of demarcation, each calling the other uneducated, one side elitist, the other side backwoods. But now we know, and the time for debate is over.

The GIF image format has been with us now since 1987, and remains to this day the most common graphical element in the Internet age. In 1996, this disturbing little gem made the big time:


Yet as innovative as the technology has been, professionals and amateurs alike have come to blows over the simplest of issues: how do you pronounce GIF? Is it hard-G (as in "get"), or soft-G (as in "Gemini")?

Now we know, and the facts are indisputable. By the authority invested in the creator of the GIF format (emphasis mine):

Since retiring in 2001, Mr. Wilhite has led a quieter existence than his creation. He goes on RV trips. He built a house in the country with a lot of lawn to mow. He dabbles in color photography and Java programming. He uses e-mail and Facebook to keep up with family.

He is proud of the GIF, but remains annoyed that there is still any debate over the pronunciation of the format.

“The Oxford English Dictionary accepts both pronunciations,” Mr. Wilhite said. “They are wrong. It is a soft ‘G,’ pronounced ‘jif.’ End of story.”

And that's the way it should be.

Comic Relief: The Government Can

For today, how about a little levity on an all-too-serious subject. I know some of you few don't like my preoccupation with socio-politics, but it is what it is.

So here's a Tim Hawkins special from 2009 that I somehow missed. Tim Hawkins is quite funny, and I suggest you peruse YouTube for more of his comedic routines. Enjoy!

Berries on a Weed

Oh, where to begin? Scandal mania has hit Washington, and if the people elect to turn a blind eye now, then such is their folly. What's happening in our government to allow Benghazi debacle, the IRS targeting conservatives, the seizing of personal communications from the Associated Press, and the selective waiving of fees by the EPA based on political persuasion? Incompetence? If so, then why haven't people been fired or forced to resign? No one is being held accountable, no one is accepting responsibility - all are pointing fingers, obfuscating, and hoping it will all just go away before anyone really starts to pay attention. You thought trust in government was low before. What happens to America when all trust breaks down between the government and its citizens? Nothing good.

Benghazi: I've talked about this one a lot. This one comes closest to touching the White House, and at least the State Department. But don't worry, "there's no there, there."

EPA: You probably haven't heard of this one, but it's out there. Apparently the EPA is playing favorites when it comes to who has to pay for requests for information. Perhaps not a major scandal, but the appearance of selective or disparate treatment is worth investigating further.

DOJ and Associated Press: This one is just strange. On the surface, the fact that DOJ may have been trying to identify sources of leaks of classified information isn't inherently bad, but the manner in which they "seized" this information from a press very friendly to this administration is just bizarre. One thing for sure, the press didn't like it, and ticking off the press cannot be a positive development for this administration. The DOJ has been over-politicized, and gives the appearance of being just that - an enforcer for partisan politics rather than just law and order.

>> Daily Mail: Eric Holder points finger at his DEPUTY who secretly obtained journalist's phone records

>> NPR: Holder Isn't Sure How Often Reporters' Records Are Seized

IRS: This is the big one, or at least, the one that will suck all the oxygen from the room, because the IRS is everyone's favorite whipping boy. Bottom line, the IRS has admitted to targeting conservative groups purely on the basis of their political persuasion. IRS officials have been caught in lies, but so far, no heads have rolled. The administration is rushing to blame it on incompetence and mismanagement, but in my view the problem is too far reaching and too systemic, for too many years to be anything but intentional. We might be talking Nixon-level stuff here. If not authorized by the administration or its handlers, this activity certainly wasn't frowned upon, and was likely encouraged. Oh, and just to make you feel better, the IRS is in charge of enforcing Obamacare. We can all expect to be answering a lot of IRS questions in the next few years. Don't skip these links. You need to know what's going on.

>> Politico: The IRS wants YOU — to share everything

>> Washington Post: Inspector general says ineffective management at IRS allowed agents to target tea party groups

>> USA Today>: IRS approved liberal groups while Tea Party in limbo

>> Daily Mail: Document: IRS ordered conservative educational group to turn over a list of high school and college students it trained

Remember which branch of government is responsible for running the State Department, the EPA, the IRS and the Department of Justice. It's the executive branch. All of this, ALL of this, the president has to answer for, because it is under his purview, his appointees. It is a reflection on his executive abilities. The bureaucracy has its own culture, to be sure, but you have to ask what kind of culture is being encouraged under this administration? I don't like asking such questions, and I don't like pointing out such things, but it is becoming painfully obvious that the so-called "politics of personal destruction" has been taken to a whole new level. If your right to freedom of expression and association falls victim to the heavy hand of government, your freedom is abridged, and the seeds of tyranny are sowed.

All of these stories, individually, are just berries on a weed. Each terrible and frightening in their own right, but not surprising. Why? Because the real scandal here is the accelerating unhinging of our political culture from any established norms required to maintain America's traditional social compact between the citizens and their government. When rules are optional to those in power, when accountability isn't even in the vocabulary, systemic abuses will follow.

Ingest too many of these berries, and you're bound to get a stomach ache. Indeed, it will poison your outlook, and leave you increasingly cynical. The ideal of America is not at fault - its practitioners are, and for that, we are all responsible.

The oligarchy of the bureaucracy, the press and the government are all fighting each other now. This may yet blow over and get swept under the rug again. Such to our peril. But I don't know. Maybe eyes will open this time, and people will see what we have created, and change course.

In the mean time, however, the feudal lords are fighting. Peasants beware.

Benghazi Breakthrough?

Well, maybe. I have made no secret on this blog of my feelings about Benghazi. What happened last September 11, the weeks and months leading up to that day, the months and months of obfuscation by all the major players, is nothing but a despicable travesty of the truth, of right and wrong.

I had all but given up on the story. The vaunted press, whose cause célèbre to shine the light on government has so clearly taken a backseat to an almost propagandizing patronage, has undeniably turned its back - for now - on its cherished Watergate heritage. Whereas then the press successfully exposed a government cover up, its modern progeny is working feverishly to assist in the effort to make Benghazi "go away." Today, however, there are signs, albeit small ones, that maybe - just maybe - the country might actually hear actual news reports and testimony about that horrible night. And maybe, they'll start asking questions.

This week, high level State Department whistleblowers testified at a House Committee hearing. These aren't some low-level lackeys, either. One is Mr. Greg Hicks - the deputy to the late Ambassador Christopher Stevens, who was killed that night in the attack. Another is Mr. Mark Thompson, in charge of the Foreign Emergency Support Team who had direct knowledge of the alleged orders to "stand down" and not deploy a rescue force. Finally, there is Eric Nordstrom, assigned to head up Benghazi security, whose requests for enhanced security support for the consulate was repeatedly denied in the months leading to the attack.

If you go looking for balance in the American newspapers, you're not likely to find anything but an effort to paint these hearings as a Republican effort to beat a dead horse in the faint hopes of damaging Hilary Clinton's presidential prospects. The bile just drips from their words, dismissive and derogatory. Politics always matters, yes. But so does the truth, at least in the world I want to believe in. You'll have better luck gleaning information from UK papers, if you can believe that. But what is more interesting is that the big three networks - ABC, CBS and NBC - may be showing small signs of actually covering the story if not objectively, more objectively than their newsprint counterparts. Consider:

CBS: Diplomat: U.S. Special Forces told "you can't go" to Benghazi during attacks

NBC: NBC's Lisa Meyers: Benghazi Hearing "Reopens" Case Against Hillary Clinton See also: Democrats Actively Working to Undermine Testimony of Benghazi Whistleblower

ABC: Exclusive: Benghazi Talking Points Underwent 12 Revisions, Scrubbed of Terror Reference

Go to the ABC link. Read the article, watch the video at the top of the page. Get informed. Will these questions lead to investigations, in turn leading to revelation of the truth? That remains to be seen. Careers should end over this, but unfortunately, the audacity of our present oligarchy and their loyal subjects in the press will do everything possible to avoid that outcome, honor and rightful shame be damned. But for the moment, kudos to ABC for the actual practice of investigative journalism.

Finally, though normally I wouldn't point to a political ad like this, this is just politically brutal, but it would have resonated if it had aired (which it did not).

Truth matters. And if an "objective" news source ever says a story "doesn't matter", question their objectivity. As the Wall Street Journal says, let the chips fall.

Update: I finally get a blog post out on this, and suddenly there's new and interesting developments. Not that we get to hear about it of course. Why? Because the White House decided to hold an off-the-record meeting with select journalists to provide "deep background" on the latest Benghazi developments. Why off the record? Probably because they don't want any names recorded with their quotes. More stories with anonymous sources to come. So, either the adminstration is providing the press a new set of talking points to push, or somebody's about to get thrown under the bus. Either way, it reeks of collusion. (Pardon me while I adjust my tin foil hat). Maybe it's nothing big, but one thing for sure - it sure is strange.

Channeling Joseph Heller

One of the most entertaining books I read in high school was Joseph Heller's Catch-22. In fact, I need to make time to re-read it, as it is a veritable quote machine. I find myself in the need to channel Mr. Heller now, if what follows proves to be true.

According to this report by Breitbart.com, DoD is clamping down on the free exercise of religious faith in the military (emphasis mine):

The Pentagon has released a statement confirming that soldiers could be prosecuted for promoting their faith: "Religious proselytization is not permitted within the Department of Defense...Court martials and non-judicial punishments are decided on a case-by-case basis...”. The statement, released to Fox News, follows a Breitbart News report on Obama administration Pentagon appointees meeting with anti-Christian extremist Mikey Weinstein to develop court-martial procedures to punish Christians in the military who express or share their faith.

Of course, it depends somewhat on what they mean by "proselytization," as pointed out by retired Lt. Gen. Jerry Boykin in this Foxnews.com video. But one has to wonder about Chaplains, and others who offer support of a religious nature.

I'll wait and see what form this takes, but the Pentagon statement that Fox News says was released to them seems to undermine the idea that this is just some imprecise wording of an inconsequential policy adjustment. I wish I could see the whole statement without the ellipses, but I haven't been able to find it yet.

All I can do now is channel Joseph Heller: "Just because you're paranoid doesn't mean they aren't after you." Indeed, "insanity is contagious."

Heaven help us.

More, submitted without comment.

A Dubious Designation

Being on top is not always the best place to be. So it goes with The Weather Channel's Top 10 Tornado Cities. Guess who comes in at the top of the list? I think I liked it better when this place was just hot and muggy all the time.

Behind the data:

Dr. Forbes gathered data from the National Weather Service Storm Prediction Center between 1962-2011. He added up the areas of the tornado paths within 75 miles of the city highlighted, including the tornado damage path widths and lengths. This methodology gives a more realistic probability of a particular location getting hit by a tornado than simply by using the raw numbers of tornado that have occurred within a metro area.

This part of the country, in tornadic weather terms anyway, is known as Dixie Alley. Apparently we're known for long-track, violent tornadoes. I don't remember seeing that on the brochure.

Ah well. Like the lady said, "There's no place like home."

The Lights Are On Again

My friends and family, I bring you great tidings of my great joy, so that you may celebrate and share in that joy with us.

We are finally home.

Thirteen months ago, our home was laid to waste by a tornadic storm. You shared in that day and the journey that followed through your thoughts, your prayers, your many expressions of kindness and care. More than you may know, you sustained us through the turbulent days that followed. I give you thanks, and I give thanks for you!

We have rebuilt on the same property. Same floor plan, with upgrades (some by choice, some by code). Landscaping will come over the next few weeks. Nevertheless, we are in.

From the front:

Kitchen (please pardon our progress):

Future teen pad (basement - was unfinished in the first version):

Bonus room over garage:

The bunker:

The new deck:

The view:

Thirteen months ago, I wrote on these pages the following:

With respect to my house, the lights cannot come back on. But in the eyes and hearts of those around us these past couple of days, the light is shining. We are in good spirits, all things considered. The Lord is our rock, and our refuge, in this most certain time of trouble. I will praise Him in good times, and bad, and despite our loss, we have been given much.

As I hold my family close, I cannot help but think: I have been, and remain, very, very blessed.

As I walk around this familiar, but new, home, I am humbled by the grace and mercy that has been extended to me by my Father in Heaven. In good times and bad, I will give Him praise, because I can do no other. We have been, and remain, very, very blessed.

The lights are indeed on once again.

In closing, I offer the following reflection. On behalf of my family, I extend to you and yours my deepest thanks for your thoughts, prayers and expressions of kindness over the last year. May the Lord bless you all, and that abundantly.

How long it's been since razing wind
Left mark on heart and home
Up from rubble we stand again, but
Now laid open for all to see
At the close of this starry night.

Our canopy, our sanctuary
Our vista so starkly altered
A void where majestic oaks stood guard
Their whispering leaves can speak no more
The ache that echoes is my lament.

Then to the east, a symphony, what light!
My breath abates, "I scarce can take it in!"
On my knees, my knees, I'm blind and yet I see!

Yes, my heart, we've lost the trees
But behold, what joy! For look!
We have gained the sky!

It's Time

This is the week. Thirteen months and two weeks we've waited, sometimes patiently, sometimes with anxiety, for the moment when we finally get to go home. And true to form, nothing about this week is going to be simple. The house passed inspection last Friday, the power gets turned on today, and there is a frantic race to finish off most of the items on our punch list for the interior before we move in two days from now. Work on the house will continue after we move in until all interior items and outside landscaping are sufficiently addressed. While there is some inconvenience there, better to go ahead and move in and get out of the rental, rather than wait another 2-3 weeks.

All the while there are school and baseball schedules to keep, an increasingly critical milestone for a project at work, and continued uncertainty in future funding in the face of the defense drawdown. (These latter two are not entirely unrelated). The move this week is followed by a not-quite desperate effort to clean the rental to leave it in better condition than we found it. By the time we turn in the keys on Monday, I figure we'll be about ready to collapse.

In all things, however, give thanks. And so I will. Because if there is one thing in all this chaos I can hang my hat on, it is this: God is good.

And I am going home.


See you on the other side.

"Wait for the Lord and keep His way, and He will exalt you to inherit the land ..." (Psalm 37:34a)

Ascending Absurdity

The world has gone nuts. Or perhaps it always was, and just seems increasingly so. Or perhaps it is just our culture, suffering from the all too predictable consequences of relativism and progressive fantasies. Too dour? Perhaps. But if there is any truth to the old axiom "The road to hell is paved with good intentions," one only needs to look around or read the news to see the empirical data.

There is a piece on Ricochet.com this morning that illustrates what I, and I hope others, see. Dave Carter, perhaps my favorite contributor on Ricochet, is a retired U.S. Air Force NCO and Senior Historian who now fills his days as a truck driver. I had the pleasure of meeting him some weeks ago and discovered that at one point in his career, his commanding officer happened to be a certain general that my dad had worked for with the 8th Air Force. (As an aside, in attendance at that meeting was his good friend Bob Lee, also an Air Force vet who happened to be stationed at Grand Forks the same time my family was there). At any rate, Dave is a fine fellow, and has a touch with words that I envy. At the bottom of this post, I link to a few other of my favorite Dave Carter posts.

But back to the point. Politicians at all levels like to experiment with new ideas and new policies, promising the world without ever truly counting the cost or the collateral damage. And rarely will anybody perform an honest assessment or audit of results that determines the policy was a bad idea. The answer is always more money or a new policy, not the termination or defunding of a bad one. Our representatives like to think that we always expect them to "do something." Frankly, I wish every now and then that they would "undo something" or "not do something".

Dave writes:

"We mean well but do ill, so we justify our ill-doing with our well-meaning," goes the saying I heard long ago. The idea that security can be achieved through the dismantlement of defenses in the face of gathering threats, the idea that national prosperity is to be found in the confiscation of capital from the productive sector, the idea that people will be happier and safer at city pools if only the distribution of life-saving resources mirrors the current ethnic nose-count, -- these are rank superstitions and would be laughable were it not for the human cost they impose. Does a drowning child wave for help only in Spanish? Can she be saved by a lifeguard who has, "a little bit of fear of the water," and, if not, will her family be comforted that she died while in the care of someone who at least had no "language issues"? If North Korea reduces Seoul to dust, will history record that, while over 10 million people perished, at least our failure to resolutely develop the necessary defensive capabilities was well intentioned rather than provocative? Does it matter to the American who just lost his job because his employer can't afford the demands of Obamacare, that the President's heart was ostensibly in the right place? Is the family traveling down the highway in something the size of a golf cart immune from the laws of physics by virtue of their compliance with ever-rising mandatory fuel standards?

Be sure to read the whole thing.

We are (and have been) in an age of hyper-legislation, where our politicians are hyper-regulating, hyper-bloviating, hyper-infiltrating every facet of daily living. In a word, they're hyper. And they are ignoring the real and painful consequences of this progressive push to perdition. Will they, will we, ever come to our senses, and truly count the cost and weigh the consequences of our intentions? And whether, in fact, those intentions are even good at all?

I long for hope, but it seems to be in short supply, not unlike everything else these days.

If we suffer the foolish to lead us, we will reap the result of what they sow. Indeed, we already are.

A sampling of Dave's writing:

Life on the Move

Of Memories and Quiet Peace

Unsuitable to the American Palate

I encourage you to read them all.

The Force is Not Strong with Lego

Look, I get it, okay? I get that there are people and cultures that get sensitive about things. I get that perhaps we should at least take care not to be blatantly in-your-face offensive when we know it might cause hurt or harm.

But we're talking about Legos, here.

A $20 $150 Star Wars lego set.

From the article:

Lego will cease production of a popular “Star Wars” toy set after Muslim communities complained about the product as the company says the criticism played no part in the decision to do so.

The Independent reports that several Muslim groups in Austria claimed “Jabba’s Palace” was anti-Muslim as it showed popular “Star Wars” character Jabba the Hut in a mosque-like lair with a hookah, guns and an imprisoned Chewbacca.

“This sort of thing does not belong in a child’s bedroom,” Melissa Gunes, spokeswoman for Austria’s Turkish Cultural Association, told The Independent. “The game is pedagogical dynamite. It depicts Muslims as terrorists.”

It's true that Lego has a rotation on its playsets (heaven knows there are sets I've tried in vain to look for over the years near birthdays and Christmas). But the timing provides an awfully convenient cover that is nevertheless ridiculously transparent. It is no secret that some in the Arab and Turkish world hate what they perceive as the George Lucas caricatures of their cultures in the Star Wars movies. But this is a toy - a $150 toy on Amazon (a bit pricy for most people) - based on a movie. Last I checked, there were no Muslims on Tatooine. For that matter, there aren't any Christians there either.

I suppose we should be grateful that Lego still provides blasters and light sabers with their Star Wars playsets. For now.

An Artistic Diversion

Spring Break has come and gone, with sadly little family time to show for it. I did manage to take Friday off to spend with the boys, highlighted by a trip to the bowling alley. It always feels good to know that even after 10 months or so since my last trip there, I can still pull down a 160+ average over 3 games. Not great, but certainly passable.  But I digress.

Saturday, we took a trip as a family to the Huntsville Museum of Art, where our youngest son was among many area students selected to have their artwork displayed. It was quite interesting to see a nice-quality caption card with his name affixed to the wall next to his piece. Almost 10, I still marvel how one day he looks older than his years, and the next day, just by the angle of the pose, he seems even younger. The boy likes to draw, and I think I'm finally starting to figure out how, as a parent, to get out of the way (sometimes) and let my children explore their capabilities and their interests.

Here's a close-up of his piece, a mixed media creation using watercolor and crayon:

After the trip to the museum, we went over to Hobby Lobby so the boys could buy some models.  The photo below, taken at the museum beforehand, gave me the notion to also buy him a sketch book and some charcoal pencils.

I have no idea how long this hobby will last, but I for one am certainly not going to do anything but encourage it.  After a little tutoring today in charcoal pencil technique, he's diving right in.  I can't wait to see what imagination comes to life on paper.

Page 17

On this special day, brimming with meaning, I offer this performance of my favorite hymn. The group is called Reprise. There are few hymns as rich in meaning, expressing what every soul deeply needs to express, as the Spirit-inspired words found here. Its timelessness spans beyond the years, be it 19, 93 or 128, to an eternity of wonder and praise.


Amen.

PS: Page 17 is a reference to the 1966 edition of the Methodist hymnal (the old red hymnal). Some will insist on it being page 77 (1989 edition), but for me, it belongs on page 17.

3 Weeks. Could It Be?

Two days ago, I sent an email to the property management agent for our rental house, officially setting the date for what I hope will be our last day of occupancy. We have finally broken through a few major bottlenecks, and once again Chase Manor 2.0 is a beehive of activity.

Cabinet frames have been installed, countertops and sinks too. Flooring started yesterday and will continue through next week. The electrician has been on site, and appliances are on order. HVAC and plumbers are at the ready. A race is underway to schedule and pass an inspection by the second week of April. Our goal is not completion, in the sense that we have a closing on the house and the construction loan. Rather, we are shooting for a certificate of occupancy that will allow us to get out of the rental and into the new house, while outside work (landscaping and retaining walls) continues. Insurance support for the rental has dried up, so the sooner we get into the house, the better.

Here's a shot of our new Corian countertops, an upgrade over the original Formica:

Deck construction is also underway. This is one feature that I am very much excited to see, and I pray that it is done well. The original house had a screened deck under roof, with a small landing for a long set of stairs that went down to ground level. With the loss of our towering oaks, however, I wanted an extension that could take advantage of the view. The result is a creation of our own design, handed off to the builder. And now it is finally coming together:

It is hard to describe how I feel, knowing now that this time next month, perhaps, I'll be sitting inside a recreation of my home. It is not a feeling of pure joy, or even relief, though I'll allow there is some of both. We've been so consumed by this chapter in our lives, that the prospect of it coming to an end is strangely unnerving. I'm not sure that makes sense, to have even a little trepidation of this next transition. Maybe I'll better understand it all once it comes to pass.

One thing I know for sure: We'll be home soon.

Killing the Mood

I know I'm not supposed to judge a book by its cover. I know that our perceptions and attitudes are often shaped by our environment and our upbringing, those cultural peculiarities that are impressed upon us from a very early age. I know that I should never ever judge a thing by the color of its "skin."

But the man in me just cannot wrap my mind around this. I found that I couldn't even bring myself to approach what ultimately may be a fine product, because I was instinctively repulsed by the blinding glare that filled my vision.

And at Sears, of all places. Right next to the stellar, sleek lines of Craftsman grey, black and red.

Forgive my prejudice. But I just can't. If this were in my garage, it would totally kill the mood. It's just .... wrong.

Stop the Presses: The Senate Drafts a Budget!

After 4 years of blowing off one of their primary Constitutional responsibilities, the Democrat-controlled Senate finally came up with a draft budget. I guess we should chalk this up to "progress." At issue is the direction this so-called progress would take us (emphasis mine):

WASHINGTON — Senate Democrats unveiled a largely stand-pat budget on Wednesday that calls for $1 trillion in new tax revenues over the coming decade and increases spending while protecting the party’s domestic policy priorities and adding $4 trillion more to the national debt than a slashing alternative from House Republicans.

The plan by Budget Committee Chairwoman Patty Murray of Washington blends about $1 trillion in modest cuts to health care providers, the Pentagon, domestic agencies, and interest payments on the debt with an equal amount in new revenue claimed by closing tax breaks.

But because Democrats want to restore $1.2 trillion in automatic spending cuts over the same period — cuts imposed by Washington’s failure to strike a broader budget pact — Murray’s blueprint increases spending slightly when compared with current policies.

I guess adding another $4 trillion to the national debt, already over $16 trillion now, is no big deal. After all, the president has told us that there is no debt crisis.

Here's what an Alabama senator had to say (emphasis mine):

Sen. Jeff Sessions (R-Ala), the ranking member of the Senate Budget Committee, summarized the contents of that budget effort: “The Senate Democrat plan offers $7.3 trillion in new debt in the first 10 years, with interest payments climbing to $791 billion in the tenth year and total debt rising to $24.4 trillion. Debt remains permanently elevated above the danger zone of 90 percent of GDP, resulting in slower growth and lost wages. Excluding war spending gimmicks, net deficit reduction is only $279 billion. In the Senate Democrat plan, the deficit in 2023 is $566 billion; the House Republican plan, in contrast, produces a surplus in the tenth year.”

Obviously, I'm in no position to assess the veracity of these descriptions, as the spin cycle is already in full force. In fact, a later version of the AP article removes the sentence about adding $4 trillion to the national debt.

In 2008, the national debt stood at about $10 trillion, and we thought it was bad then. If the Senate's budget were ever enacted (which it will not as long as the Republicans hold the House), by 2023 - a timeframe of a mere 15 years - we will have fully doubled the national debt.

So you'll have to forgive my snarky attitude and my pessimism about the fiscal direction of this nation. It is just plain stupid. Not a nice thing to say, I know, but it is true.

Brennan's Symbolic Gesture: Oops

Public figures of all sorts will from time to time make grand, symbolic gestures designed not so much for their intent, but rather for the PR they receive in making them.

Such was the case when the White House related the nature of the oath taken by new CIA Director John Brennan:

Hours after CIA Director John Brennan took the oath of office—behind closed doors, far away from the press, perhaps befitting his status as America's top spy—the White House took pains to emphasize the symbolism of the ceremony.

“There's one piece of this that I wanted to note for you,” spokesman Josh Earnest told reporters at their daily briefing. “Director Brennan was sworn in with his hand on an original draft of the Constitution that had George Washington's personal handwriting and annotations on it, dating from 1787.”

That's nice, taking an oath on an authentic copy of the Constitution you are swearing to uphold and defend. But wait, there's more:

The Constitution itself went into effect in 1789. But troublemaking blogger Marcy Wheeler points out that what was missing from the Constitution in 1787 is also quite symbolic: The Bill of Rights, which did not officially go into effect until December 1791 after ratification by states. ...

That means: No freedom of speech and of the press, no right to bear arms, no Fourth Amendment ban on “unreasonable searches and seizures,” and no right to a jury trial.

Oh, the irony.

Word of advice to all who would try to make a grand gesture and then crow about it: make sure you do your homework and know your history, else risk sending an entirely different message than the one you intend.

Awesome Image of Coronal Activity

I came across the image below following a link to dallasnews.com. At first, it looked a little too fantastical, and I was sure it was simply the fine work of a graphic artist.

Au contraire. I poked around on NASA's website and found the posted image. The image was indeed captured by NASA’s Solar Dynamics Observatory. While the image has been "enhanced" to make additional wavelengths visible, it is altogether real.

And very awesome.

This image provided by NASA shows an image captured by NASA’s Solar Dynamics Observatory of a blast of plasma streaming from the sun in August 2012. (NASA)

Outcomes-Based Governing

Is there a right way to govern? I ask this question, because as easy as it is to pound my fist at the cynical abuse of rules and processes committed by both parties when in the majority, I cannot help but to wonder that if there is a "right way," would this or any forthcoming generation of politicians even recognize it, much less employ it.

This phenomenon of "outcomes-based" governing, while it may not be entirely new, is a troubling trend that can only undermine further the already fractious relationship between the voters and those who purport to represent them. By outcomes-based governing, I simply mean the trend that "anything goes" in the quest to get desired legislation into force. Outcomes will not engender trust nearly as much as the transparency of the process used to achieve those outcomes.

The case du jour: A few weeks ago, Alabama Republican legislators crafted a bill designed to provide a method for local school systems to opt out of a state-mandated school calendar. The background, in brief, is that in late spring 2012, just weeks before the end of the school year, the state passed legislation mandating the start and end times of the school year. School cannot start before the 3rd week of August, and must end within days of Memorial Day. The result of the 2012 legislation forced school systems to scramble to adjust their 2012-2013 calendars, and was generally received negatively by all except the Alabama Tourism Department. This new bill was designed to give local systems the chance for a waiver to opt out of the mandate, and thereby the ability set their own calendars. This bill actually had some bipartisan support, the endorsement of the state superintendent of schools, and was on track for quick passage. The state Senate passed it, then the state House passed it. From there it went to committee, where all hell broke loose.

What happened in committee is still a little murky, but the 9-page bill for school flexibility came out as a 27-page bill establishing what amounts to a school voucher program. There was no substantive debate allowed on the revised bill, and both the state House and Senate passed it. The governor was supposed to sign the bill on Tuesday, but a judge issued a restraining order, and now we're at an impasse. The Republicans are appealing to the state Supreme Court, completely Republican, but the outcome is far from certain. Just for the record, this type of back-room behavior is standard operating procedure for Alabama, no matter which party is in power.

My beef is this. I'm supportive of the school flexibility bill, and in principle, I'm supportive of school choice solutions. But the manner in which the state Republicans handled this matter disgusts me. If you want a school voucher program, craft a bill, debate it and vote on it. Make a public case for it. You may win, you may lose, but at least you did it the right way. Instead, the perception is now fully entrenched that somebody hijacked a simple bill to push through something entirely different. And that perception may be the truth. While I personally think the judge is out of line in preventing a passed bill from going to the governor's desk, the Republicans only brought this upon themselves.

In the end, good legislation may not see the light of day, because somebody got greedy and tried to ram something else through the process. Outcomes-based governing is a live-by-the-sword, die-by-the-sword proposition. It fully undercuts and erodes virtue and principle. And it is clearly the wave of the future.

But it is a terrible way to govern.

Testing the New Headphones

The company for which I work recently completed a major relocation. We left our original facility, home to us for 8 years, for "new" digs a mile or two away. The new arrangement has us temporarily sharing offices, while some additional renovations at our new facility are completed over the next several months.

Although I have had my own office for the last decade, I'm no stranger to office-sharing, so it is really no big deal. However, I can no longer just close the door and put on background music while I work, or watch that must see news video telling me how screwed up Washington is. So I invested in an inexpensive set of Bluetooth headphones by Kinivo.

But I needed a test run. So what better sound test of frequency range and depth (not to mention assurance that I'm not disturbing my office mate) than to pump up these guys. If you have 26 minutes and 3 seconds to spare, put this on in the background and enjoy. I love this. Oh, and the headphones work great!

One Year

A year ago today, I came home mid-morning to this:

In the year since a high-end EF-2 tornado turned our lives upside-down, I can only marvel at how fresh the memory remains. Reminders of our struggle are everywhere, but so are the reminders of grace, of blessing. It is this light we hang on to, knowing that in time all things can be restored, after a fashion. Not the same, but we press ever onward.

Today, we're still waiting for this long year to end. It won't end until we can finally move back in to this:

Projected homecoming: April.

April, please hurry.

Sequester's Eve

At the stroke of midnight tonight, the much ballyhooed sequester goes into effect. The sequester - that series of across-the-board, mandatory budget cuts being forced upon the witting and unwitting alike - will either feel like a slap on the wrist or a sucker punch to the gut. As for me, I think one side is seriously overstating the impact, while the other side may in fact be understating it. I'm not inclined to follow Henny Penny and his band of friendly fowl, but neither am I naïve enough to think there's not a fox waiting to take advantage of the moment. Even though the cuts amount to a paltry 2% of the annual "budget" (ha), these cuts WILL have an impact as the map below indicates. How much of an impact is really a matter of degree.


The above map from the Tax Foundation leaves much to be desired, as it does not explicitly illustrate the origin and nature of the federal funding that the states receive. But it does show that every single state of the Union depends in part on federal funds to supplement revenue at the state level. Now as I understand it, the sequester is essentially an across-the-board reduction (and practically, it only reduces the projected increase in spending, but that's another matter). What that means is that a state like Mississippi, which relies on federal outlay to fulfill almost half (!) its revenue requirements for services, could potentially have a harder time absorbing the cuts than a state like North Dakota, which only relies on federal outlay for 26% of its revenue needs. The sequester will not in itself evenly and equally reduce federal outlays to the states by 2%, but every state WILL feel its impact, some more than others.

By no means am I suggesting that states should strive to be 0%. There's nothing inherently wrong with federal money flowing to the states. It is another argument for another time whether it is fiscally responsible for states to be grossly dependent on federal funding. What I am suggesting is that as long as states do depend on federal funds to balance their budgets, any cuts that come out of Washington ARE going to have an impact. Services and benefits WILL be reduced, or other revenue will have to be found (state and local tax increases) to perpetuate those services. Defense cuts will impact local economies, the degree of which will depend on the level of dependency a given local economy has on such funding.

I find it likely that at some level, everyone is going to be touched in some way by spending cuts. At the individual level, for some, it could be devastating - loss of job, benefits, etc. Others might only experience more hassle and delays in dealing with government driven programs and services. But at the 50,000 ft level, for the overall good of our Nation's fiscal health, the pain can be a good and necessary pain. Do I like the WAY it's being handled? Absolutely not, as I again state that this poorly planned, across-the-board approach is a blind, reckless approach to reducing spending. But if it works, it might in the long run be worth the pain. Because I'll tell you this: suffering the effects of a 2% cut is far preferable to a full economic collapse that will undoubtedly result from continued runaway spending and debt.

Now, it would be nice if Washington was smart enough to realize that spending cuts would actually be much easier to handle if it wasn't suffocating the economy with over-regulation and over-manipulation of the market.

See you on the other side. Because come March 27th, we'll be doing this again. Except then, we'll be talking shutdown.

Accio Hogwarts!

I'm almost 42 years old, yet I am not ashamed to say:

I want one!


Check out the gallery too.

A Feel-Good Story for Today

Finding a good news story buried among the doom and gloom headlines can be a tough business. When you do run across them, they often end up being isolated local stories that are nice to read, but are likely forgotten as soon as you click the next link.

I saw one today however that may stick with me a bit longer, if only because it gives hope that our generation - and the next generation - might yet turn out all right. Worst case, there's a candle shining in the darkness.

An unemployed teenager who embarked on a 10-mile walk through the snow for a job interview saw his dedication pay off after another restaurant owner, impressed with his work ethic, offered him a job at his business.

…

“I said, well how come you’re not on the bus?” Mr Bouvier said. “He said, 'I can’t afford the bus until I get a job.’

“I’m thinking to myself, here’s a kid walking almost 10 miles in the ice and slush and snow for the hope of a job at minimum wage. That’s the kind of story your parents used to tell, my parents used to tell.”

Read the whole thing. I'm glad this young man found a job, and I'm glad the restaurant owner was able to provide an opportunity for him. I know minimum wage may not seem like much, and the higher it goes, the less likely there will be jobs for teens and young adults. But it is nice to know that sometimes things work out. Character, perseverance and work ethic really do matter. Here's hoping this arrangement works out for both. It sounds like it just might. And if it does, the re-telling of this tale will undoubtedly grow and resonate over time. (Ten miles in the snow? That's just too easy.)

A Note on the Sequester

As much as I loathe the idea of dipping my toe into the cesspool of national politics on this frigid three-day weekend, allow me a quick thought on the looming budget cuts known as the "sequester." As you may recall, the sequester is a series of forced spending cuts written into the Budget Control Act of 2011. Basically, the sequester provision was written in as a failsafe in the event that Congress failed to reach a budget agreement that satisfactorily reduced the deficit by $1.2 trillion over 10 years. Despite the protestations you may hear in the news, it doesn't matter where the idea for the sequester provision originated. In the end, the Republican-led House and the Democrat-led Senate passed the bill, and the president signed it into law. All bear responsibility for the idea.

If there's any blame to be had, you'd be better served focusing on the fiscal irresponsibility of the Democrats for failing to even attempt to pass a budget in over 4 years, which by the way is their Constitutional responsibility. The House continues to write and pass budgets that get ignored by the Senate. We can beat this dead horse all day, but the fact is, the press doesn't care, and the American people enable this behavior by continuing to vote the way they do.

As to the sequester itself, despite the risk it may represent to my own livelihood, I really can't say I'm opposed to it. Our government cannot continue indefinitely spending money it doesn't have. And while I think it disproportionately puts our national interest at risk, given the drastic impact it will have on our defense and military readiness, maybe forcing down some ill-tasting medicine will bring back a measure of seriousness to the critical near and long term fiscal issues facing this nation.

Of course, there are some who will never take it seriously. Consider the comments of former Speaker Nancy Pelosi, speaking in the context of the sequester's impact to congressional pay (emphasis mine):

House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) said Thursday that she opposes a cut in congressional pay because it would diminish the dignity of lawmakers' jobs.

"I don't think we should do it; I think we should respect the work we do," Pelosi told reporters in the Capitol. "I think it's necessary for us to have the dignity of the job that we have rewarded."

Wow. We shouldn't cut congressional pay because it would undermine their dignity. Talk about a sense of entitlement. In my career, I've been very blessed. Yet I have also experienced pay cuts and a layoff. While I certainly remember learning to check my ego through those experiences, I'd like to think I didn't lose my dignity in the process.

Dignity is not found in the title or the position, but rather in the man or woman who fills it. This truth applies no matter what "station" one has, if you choose to consider such.

We have to stop kicking the can down the road. We have to break the cycle. If the sequester is painful, it is only because we chose to ignore our fiscal imbalance for far too long. But we'll get through it. Whether we learn anything from it, however, remains to be seen.

A Title Goes Here

Sorry, folks. I've been absolutely buried by a corporate relocation, a flurry of decision making on the house, and a final review on a proposal. As a result, I now have the mental acuity of a bowl of oatmeal. No room to process sequestration, North Korea nukes, or an asteroid fly-by.

So here's a pretty picture instead. TTFN.

News From the Groundhog

And the groundhog came up from his hole, turned his eyes toward the skies, capturing in view the early glare of the sun against shingled slope and brick façade, to the pile of broken cinder, wherein he turned and declared to all who would hear, "I have risen and I have seen, and therefore I proclaim: Six more weeks of rental." To which the builder replied, "Well, maybe seven or eight." And the clouds came, and the sleet and snow began to fall.

It occurs to me that it has been a couple of months since I last provided an update on Chase Manor 2.0. A great deal of progress has been made, to include the completion of the bricking, hanging drywall, stairways and rails, and trim work. There's a new garage floor (with a significant defect that'll need to be repaired), garage doors and openers, and built-in bookcases in the bonus room upstairs. The Hardieplank siding is finally up at the front door and on the backside where the deck will be, ready to be painted when it is warm enough to do so.

Interior painting is about to begin (hopefully), to be followed by flooring, cabinets, countertops, deck construction, low voltage finishing, bath fixtures and landscaping. We had hoped to be in by the one year anniversary, but that is no longer in the cards. If things go well the next few weeks, we may be able to get a certificate of occupancy by mid-March or so.

The garage exterior. The keystones are new - we didn't have those the first time.

We changed the column design in the great room / foyer / dining room from a cylindrical design to what you see here. Not entirely sure about it, but maybe it'll grow on me. One change not pictured, is that the trim at the top of the column was reduced in size, so that it is not quite as obnoxious as you see here.

The new fireplace mantle design. Lower than the first by about 6 inches or so.

And now to the bookcases. In the original house, the built-in bookcases spanned the length of the bonus room wall. Each set of shelves was painstakingly sanded and painted (by me), with the backpanel painted the wall color and the shelf faces painted the trim. This produced a wonderful effect that I really enjoyed. However, the new roof truss construction forced a change to a narrower cavity design to fit between the trusses. Given this constraint, we opted for fewer shelves across the wall, giving us the corners back and a little more wall space. Fewer books, to be sure, but we will now have a long basement wall for standalone bookshelves if we so desire. And yes, much to the painter's relief, these new shelves will be trim color, including the back panels. The additional wall space eliminates the need to paint the backpanels separately.

Below is a picture of the original bookcase wall design.

Yes, I was hung up on the bookcases. But I'm over it now. Really. (You believe that, right?)

Not much else to say at this point, other than we are very ready to have this finished. The sleet and snow mix have stopped now, leaving just the lightest of dustings on the ground and ice on the roads. Here's hoping the next two months fly by.

Time and Potatoes

When I was around 12 or 13 years old, I had a potato clock. It was a sturdy little thing, with a stand made of smoky-clear plastic featuring two holders just the right size to hold a pair of soda cans. It had a decent gauge wire firmly joined to zinc and copper electrodes, with a small digital LCD that could be fixed to the stand. I had that clock for quite a few years, and to this day I remain fascinated by natural electrochemical processes. I mean, a clock powered by a spud? How cool is that?

It so happens that a potato clock from Hobby Lobby found its way into the pile of Christmas presents this year. It was meant for the boys as an educational project, but who are we kidding here? It was really just a toy for me. But like so many toys these days, the quality of the product leaves MUCH to be desired.

First, let me show you the holders, these fine receptacles intended to hold our electrolytic spuds:

Nice, huh? And they might even work, if you used baby potatoes. But they are not, shall we say, ideal for your normal sized spud:

And then there's the wire. The product came packaged with the most brittle, flimsiest gauge wire they could find. The instructions tell you to tie the wire to the zinc and copper strips and tape them. Tape? Ugh. The wires then run into a cheap plastic box holding the LCD display and control board. As luck would have it, the solder joints where the wires connect to the control board aren't sound. It took me half an hour to get the display working, and still, if you touch it just so, the clock resets to 12:00. I lost my lab-grade soldering iron in the tornado, otherwise I would have ripped that thing open and rebuilt it with a better grade wire and better joints at all the tap points. I may yet do it (sounds like good justification to replace a tool to me). I've suddenly got the itch to tinker again. Which reminds me, I've got a old, busted up lamp made out of a slice of tree to fix too.

Anyway, quality aside, the clock works (more or less). The moral of the story? Always have red solo cups handy, and never lose the joy of taking things apart - because these days, you may very well have to take things apart to make the blasted stuff work. Most fun I've had in months!

Patented Rick Sutcliffe Pick-Off Move Now a Balk

Man, I wish I could find a video clip of the world famous Rick Sutcliffe trick pick-off move. Alas, I cannot, although if one appears online in the next several days, I'll update this post. In case you haven't yet heard the news, MLB has made a rules change:

NEW YORK (AP) -- One of the oldest trick plays in baseball is now a balk.

Under a rule change imposed by Major League Baseball, pitchers will no longer be allowed to fake a pickoff to third base and throw to first as a way to dupe a runner on first base into breaking for second. Next season, that move would be a balk. Pitchers can still step off the rubber and fake to third.

Back when Rick Sutcliffe pitched for the Cubs, every now and then he'd try to execute this fake to third, throw to first pick-off move. It was the most painful and silly thing to watch, and all Cubdom would collectively groan every time he tried it. I honestly don't think it EVER worked for Sut, but whenever he'd get runners on the corners, you knew it was coming.

It may be a silly rule change, but it is a sillier move. Calling it a balk now once and for all brings an end to such tomfoolery. Just play the game, boys.

Here's a little more on the story.

Benghazi Bluster

It has been a busy week, so I did not follow the Senate hearings on the Benghazi fiasco featuring Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. Probably just as well, as watching it would have undoubtedly brought my blood to a boil once again at the systemic failures up and down the chain that led unnecessarily to the deaths of 4 Americans, including a U.S. Ambassador.

But I did read a little, and one thing that seems to be clear based on some of the reporting and commentary I've seen is that a major whitewash is underway. When the story is more about how a feisty Clinton braved a hearing in front of grandstanding politicians after suffering from serious health issues, than a detailed inquiry into the events and decisions leading up to that fateful night on September 11, 2012, you know we've gone off the rails of any meaningful discovery of the truth. After Clinton testifies before the House committee, I suspect Benghazi may well disappear from the headlines for good.

What a strange phenomenon this is, to realize that when a figure in the public eye proclaims to the camera "I take responsibility," they are in fact doing just the opposite. Somehow, we have allowed the utterance of culpability to become an absolution of accountability. It takes far less courage to say "I am responsible" than it does to do the hard and painful work that makes it true.

Accountability, insofar as it can be considered a virtue, is in danger of becoming an anachronism in the public consciousness.

As citizens, more and more we are allowing this to go on, and therefore illustrate our own culpability in this erosion of virtue. Whose responsibility is it, really? Who among us genuinely takes ownership?

In Search of A Disciplined Mind

In years past, even on these pages, I have often foolishly proclaimed myself a thinker. Or, if not a thinker, one who tends to think he thinks. Lately, I have come to realize that such a boast was and is likely without merit. I marvel at those who can create deep and authoritative works, essays that while academic, reach beyond logic and philosophy to touch (or if not touch, reach toward) the truth of a thing.

In reality, I am having to come to terms with the undisciplined nature of my mind. Sure, as an engineer, I can focus on the task at hand and work to define, describe and implement a solution. But what joy may have been present in such has since become muted. I have long struggled with the dichotomy of my engineer's training and my need for creative expression through the written word. Others might not see the dichotomy, but as they represent two very different parts of me, I experience the tension nonetheless. Like the pursuit of a gift that can never be truly yours, I long for an excellence that cannot be achieved with second-rate skills. Once, it seems, I was able to compose my thoughts, make an argument, express a revelation in a manner that was fresh and relevant. These days, I can't seem to find that handle.

In part, it may be due to overindulgence in two-dimensional stimuli. By this, I mean the virtual world, rather than the three-dimensional interaction and engagement with real people in real deliberation and discussion. The internet is a bountiful resource of information, and I'm always reading, jumping from site to site, page to page, taking in much but pondering very little. I thirst for knowledge and comprehension, but seeking such sustenance only from what comes through this electronic wonder is a little like taking in salt water.

When I detach from such stimuli, I often find my mind to be a disordered mess. It takes discipline to sit and think, requiring more mental energy than I'm often willing to commit. Sometimes, I just sit without thinking. Only when I've been detached for a while does the equilibrium reset itself, setting the conditions for a more productive reflection. Yet even then, my hand might reach for the TV remote of its own volition.

Is it a thirst for knowledge and comprehension, or a thirst for stimulation? A universe of information may be at our fingertips, but knowing that a possible by-product is the erosion of mental discipline, maybe we would do well to view with caution the method of transference.

Or perhaps, I'm simply making excuses for my own mental laziness. In fact, that is my fear. Because in re-reading the paragraphs above, I have given witness to the undisciplined nature of my thoughts, which bear the fruit of an unproductive reflection.

In the end, I know little, and comprehend even less. That is no fault but my own, a failure to more often exercise the discipline required to sit and create the conditions for productive, reflective and creative thought.

What a mess, eh?

Eclipse

As I sit here in my makeshift "home office" (otherwise known as my kitchen table), my mind is wandering a bit as a typically peculiar North Alabama snow falls outside the window. Peculiar, because with any southern snow, it may dust or dump depending on which side of the street you find yourself. After seven straight days of rain, and now snow, there is a promise of sun tomorrow. It's been a long time since we've seen the sun. We can be forgiven here, for wondering if we'll ever see the sun again.

The sun again. Just like that, three little words call to mind a song that does not seem to fit the moment, and yet it does.


'Serenity’s a long time comin’ to me ….'

I really need to get back to work.

Shutout at the Baseball HOF

A few days ago, that journalistic society known as the Baseball Writers Association of America cast their ballots for the 2013 class of Baseball's Hall of Fame. As you may well know by now, not a single candidate secured the necessary 75% approval to gain entry to that illustrious institution.

This year's ballot includes some notable (and notorious) names, players who if not for the ill-fated decision to experiment with performance-enhancing drugs (PEDs), or players who fell under suspicion of doing so, would have likely taken their place in that hallowed Hall. Barry Bonds and Roger Clemens highlight this list, of course. Sammy Sosa, unlikely to make the Hall on his first ballot even if clean, barely registered 12%. I used to think Sosa was a sure thing, especially after that magical 1998 battle with Mark McGwire. But after seeing pictures of shrunken Sammy after testing went into full force, I'm convinced that his success was largely artificial. I still remember his years with the Cubs fondly, aside from his acrimonious exit. As a fan, I was never fond of Bonds or Clemens, but it could easily be argued that they were great without PEDs, yet chose to tarnish their reputations and the record books with their discretions.

Next year should be better, of course, with Greg Maddux, Auburn and White Sox great Frank Thomas, and Tom Glavine likely to make it on their first ballot (it might take Thomas two, but he won't have a long wait).

The great debate, of course, is what to do with the PED class of players. The purist position is that cheaters should never get in. The other side of the argument points out the varied and subjective standards being applied to different players across different eras, by voters who write articles for a living. No one can measure a direct, predictable causal relationship between PEDs and stats, yet there appears nevertheless to be some level of correlation. What is clear, for now at least, that those who used, or are strongly suspected of using, are marked with a scarlet letter and are likely to be blackballed indefinitely. The result is that a generation of players (a generation measuring a decade or two in this case), players that energized the sport to so many of us, will forever be left out in the cold. Yes, there are many baseball heroes who do not grace the Hall. But to be kept out because they weren't quite good enough, versus being kept out because of a deliberate attempt to gain an unfair advantage, makes the story more complicated. And it makes me wonder, what is really best for baseball?

My instinct is to take the purist position, in which only those players who excelled in the game (by evidence of stats), played by the rules (no cheating), and otherwise earned a significant consensus of acclaim deserve to be in the Hall.

Yet I cannot help but wonder if this approach is really good for the game, and the Hall. There is something almost McCarthyite about the way some in sports media are acting about this. Is this really about "protecting" the Hall from the scourge of PED users, or it is about applying some moral or character standard to those who would aspire to enshrined greatness?

The Hall ostensibly celebrates the game, and the men who played it well. But baseball is a game that attracts the gentleman and the cad alike, both competitors seeking to master a game like no other. Yes, I think the Hall is rarified air, and should be reserved for only the best of the best. But adding a sort of morality clause to the game's list of unwritten rules to use as a bar for Hall induction takes away an important facet of the game and its history. The game is played by men, men with faults. Their crimes aren't as much against baseball, as against its fans. You can't hurt "baseball." You may tarnish the league and its reputation in the eyes of its fans, but those who love the game will love the game nonetheless. Work stoppages and players strikes do far more damage to "the game" than a few players who colored outside the lines of fairness in an effort to inflate their stats and contracts. (And for the likes of Pete Rose? You cannot tell me that on the basis of his playing career, he's not a Hall of Famer. He is, and he should be. True, if he ever gets in, it will be likely be posthumously. But I digress.) Maybe the Hall should just celebrate the game, and not try to gloss over its warts by selectively omitting a certain, selective group of its sinners. And yet, voters should nevertheless make sure a career - even a tainted one, is worthy of inclusion. How hard it must be to be subjectively objective!

So, what do you do with the PED class? Asterisks? Exclusion? Scarlet Letter? I don't know. Greats are greats, be they cad or gentleman. Maybe the game, and the Hall, should have room for both. Somehow.

New Year, New Course?

I'm getting off to a slow start again this year. Heading into my fourth full year of blogging (Lord willing), I find myself doing more than my usual amount of self-indulgent navel-gazing. It is a new year, and I'm still laboring under the presumption that this chronicle should be unto something.

A question has been haunting me these last few days, an unspoken query that I finally put into words just yesterday:

How can a man write when most of what he sees and knows in life is through what others have written?

Too many of my posts are born of someone else's idea, something else's effort. I read something online, feel compelled to comment, and there it is. What I contribute in those instances is nothing new and arguably meaningless - a chasing after the wind. What fruit will it bear to write about the same things you can read for yourself or watch on the news? It becomes a crutch, and stiffles what creativity there may be. For while it is not in me to write the songs that make the whole world sing (or the songs of love and special things), I still want my writing to amount to something.

In any case, I'll continue to write, because I must. But allow me to apologize in advance for whatever may come of it. I may have to engage in somewhat more lateral thinking in order to break free of this non-creative rut that has marked my writing of late.

A mentor of mine once suggested that it is possible to act yourself into a new way of thinking, and to think yourself into a new way of acting. Perhaps. I wonder if it might work with writing.

We'll find out, or we won't.