I don't know beans

By notapoet - About Me - E-mail this page - Add to My Favorites - Add to Blog List - See other blogs in Opinion

Sunday, January 27, 2008

The native son is all but done.

John Edwards came in a distant third in neighboring South Carolina, the state of his birth. One begins to wonder if he will do much better in our North Carolina primary despite the fact this is the state he grew up in, and the one that jump started his political aspirations by sending him to the... Sign in to see full entry.

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Tuesday, July 24, 2007

“Walk on the Wild Side”

…was a great song from a forgettable movie. I’m not talking about the popular piece of strangeness with the catchy tune and horrible lyrics that Lou Reed released in 1973. The “Walk” I remember was recorded eleven years earlier by Brook Benton. It didn’t do nearly as well on the charts, but it... Sign in to see full entry.

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Wednesday, July 18, 2007

Is the American presidency for sale?

It sure seems like it if you listen to the news on any American TV network except for educational TV. Although we have 18 declared presidential candidates, and three more undeclared, most of the recent coverage centers on who is raising the most money. None of the republican candidates come anywhere... Sign in to see full entry.

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Sunday, July 15, 2007

Charles Kurault and his “On the Road” segments

…sold me on “Sunday Morning” and “60 Minutes” decades ago. Kurault is gone now, but is still remembered for his classic segments and perceptive interviews. I’ve seen the feature he did on Lady Bird Johnson twice since her death. President Johnson’s widow was one of our great early conservationists... Sign in to see full entry.

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Saturday, July 14, 2007

The Root of All Evil

I don’t claim to have insider knowledge about the one thing that causes all of the world’s problems. There may not be a single root cause. But a friend of mine who has been around some thirty years longer than I have has an interesting theory that is starting to win me over. Greed, my old friend... Sign in to see full entry.

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Wednesday, July 11, 2007

Don’t you just hate it when someone says I told you so?

Yeah, me too. So, “I told you so!” Day before yesterday I caught a news bit that didn’t surprise me in the least. Apple Computers’ latest must-have toy, the revolutionary Iphone, is going to have a new and improved little brother in approximately two weeks. It’s also going to be cheaper. It doesn’t... Sign in to see full entry.

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Sunday, July 8, 2007

$380,000

…a year. To start. Great perks including lots of all-expense paid travel, three plus months of annual vacation time, excellent retirement program. Sound too good to be true? Only if your dreams don’t include professional baseball player. $380,000 is the current Major League Baseball minimum for a... Sign in to see full entry.

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Friday, July 6, 2007

I grew up believing the American fighting man was the best in the world.

During my military service during the Vietnam Era I began to have my doubts. Political propaganda and recruiting posters told us this was still the case. We were supposed to be the best because we were the best trained, best equipped, and most dedicated fighting force in the world. Poorly trained,... Sign in to see full entry.

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Thursday, July 5, 2007

Seven score and four years ago...

Abraham Lincoln began a short speech with the words “Four score and seven years ago…” at the dedication of a national cemetery at Gettysburgh, Pennsylvania. It was on November 19, not July 4, that Lincoln delivered his brief speech. But since my own days of military service Independence Day always... Sign in to see full entry.

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Wednesday, July 4, 2007

Scooter Libby

can tell you how the American justice system works today. And it’s not “if you do the crime you do the time.” As I’ve always suspected, money and influential friends can get you out of almost anything. Poor Scooter. He’s suffered enough according to our president. It’s only right his sentence be... Sign in to see full entry.

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Sunday, January 7, 2007

Okay Democrats, It’s Put Up Or Shut Up Time

You’ve got a majority in both the House of Representatives and the Senate. You’ve been sworn in and installed. You now have effective control of one of the three branches of government. Now let’s see you do better than all of the representatives and senators you ousted thanks to the fed up and... Sign in to see full entry.

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Sunday, December 31, 2006

Saddam Hussein is dead.

The political and religious strife in Iraq continues. Remember the good old days when, according to our glorious president, the war in Iraq was over and won? The only thing left to do was find Saddam and bring him to justice as part of the mop up. Saddam Hussein was found, tried, and now he has been... Sign in to see full entry.

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Thursday, December 28, 2006

Edwards declares his candidacy.

John Edwards made his candidacy for the Democratic Nomination for President official this morning in New Orleans. It wasn’t any surprise. Enough hints had been dropped all month to make it an expected political announcement. The surprise was the goof his campaign staff made on his official website... Sign in to see full entry.

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Wednesday, December 27, 2006

Gerald Ford left a legacy of healing.

That was how President Jimmy Carter characterized his predecessor when he took office after defeating the president who was never elected president or vice president in his own right. It was how former President Ford wanted to be remembered. It’s how I remember him. It was how I viewed the man when... Sign in to see full entry.

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Monday, December 25, 2006

Give what you can afford.

Unfortunately I’m financially embarrassed at the moment, so I can afford little. Still, beyond “Season’s Greetings” and a wish for “peace and goodwill to all men,” I wanted to offer all of you something. It cost me nothing, but you may possibly derive hours of pleasure from my little offering. Click... Sign in to see full entry.

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Friday, December 22, 2006

Hilary would beat Giuliani or McCain.

That’s what a recent poll tells us. I don’t remember which polling outfit it was, nor do I care this far from the primaries and conventions. By the end of the primaries and the beginning of the Republican National Convention neither of her projected opponents may be in the running. For that matter,... Sign in to see full entry.

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Sunday, December 17, 2006

The "H" stands for Hussein?

Barack Hussein Obama is the full name. I just learned this tidbit this very weekend. It doesn’t bother me a bit. But I know people who wouldn’t vote for him because he is “African-American,” whatever that term really means (since most of the people it applies to are not from Africa unless you go... Sign in to see full entry.

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Thursday, December 14, 2006

For now it's Edwards

For now it’s Edwards. No big surprise there. He was my choice last time around. I know he hasn’t formally declared for the presidency yet, but neither have any of the other so-called front-runners. Like the rest, he’s making moves that resemble those of a candidate. In today’s world that seems to be... Sign in to see full entry.

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Tuesday, December 12, 2006

Anyone but Hillary

The next presidential election is nearly two years off. It’s far too early for me to get very excited about it other than to say I would never vote for Hillary Clinton. It’s not because she is a woman. I would vote for a woman in a heartbeat if I thought she was the best person for the job. Unless... Sign in to see full entry.

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Friday, December 8, 2006

The day after the day that lives in infamy.

I hope I’m not the only one who said a prayer of thanks for the members of our greatest generation, the generation that sucked it up after disaster and proceeded to win World War II. If not for them, our great country might not have survived as the land of freedom and opportunity. I know many people... Sign in to see full entry.

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I've got an opinion on just about everything and I'm old enough to bluff pretty good when I don't.

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