In some ways, our political discourse has become more polite in this country. The name calling and dirty tricks some of our founding fathers used in the pursuit of political power make some of those in recent elections look tame.
Two hundred years ago people easily came to blows over differences of opinion, if not outright duels to the death. Today, thank God, that doesn't happen.
Case in point. I have this friend. Well, he's the friend of a friend, but I like and respect him and would like to be friends with him. Anyway, we don't often see eye-to-eye on political matters. Tonight we were going rounds about "czars;" those positions in the federal government that really drive those on the right nuts, now that Obama is the one appointing them.
FYI, Nixon appointed the first person we called a "czar" in this country. As a presidential appointment, he should have congressional approval. He did not. In nearly 40 years it's become worse, as the number of these positions has grown in our federal government. My readings say this is the federal government taking more and more power upon itself, in direct contradiction of the 10th Amendment. My buddy disagrees. We went round and round on it.
I agreed that I wasn't as well-read on the matter as I'd like to be and would be studying up on this. I think he felt, at first, that I was objecting to "czar." Well, I do find it sort of objectionable in our country, to call someone a "czar," but understand the origins. What I really found objectionable was the position and the lack of congressional approval for a presidential appointment. My buddy feels they fall within the structure of our federal government and are legitimate positions demonized by those on the right just to make a stink about Obama. He stated that W appointed more of these folks than any other president. I've seen two different lists and both gave that dubious distinction to Obama, instead.
Okay, back-story complete. Here's what I was getting at. I think at various times we've both sat back and said, "I like this guy. He's nice. He's smart. So how can he be such a friggen idiot?" Thank God we don't have to have those moments face-to-face; I can't imagine a friendship resulting in such a case.
It may be that as our debate goes on we will reach an "agree to disagree" point, but I will try to keep you informed of what I find out.
Friday, October 30, 2009
Compass
Time to give this baby some direction.
I think, given the titles of my two blogs (I'd forgotten I had either one until last night), that this one will be the home to more of my social/political thought while the other will be home to what is happening with me.
That decision made, it's time to jet over to Jay: Inside-Out and set a few administrative things to rights and then I'll get back to paying attention to what pays.
I think, given the titles of my two blogs (I'd forgotten I had either one until last night), that this one will be the home to more of my social/political thought while the other will be home to what is happening with me.
That decision made, it's time to jet over to Jay: Inside-Out and set a few administrative things to rights and then I'll get back to paying attention to what pays.
Thursday, October 29, 2009
Everything changes ...
Here it is, more than two years since I last posted here or my other blog, Jay: Inside-Out, and so much has changed.
In July 2007, I was newly-married for the second time and off to New Orleans to run a new cable contractor owned by someone I thought was a friend. Instead I found him to be a crook who was stealing from his employees. I wanted nothing to do with it and moved on to be an assistant manager at another contractor for much more money. That owner blew his money gambling and couldn't pay anyone several weeks later, so I was able to move back to a tech position at yet another company. Talk about frustration ...
All the stress didn't help matters at home, which just never seemed to settle into the solid, rock-steady marriage Jenn and I had envisioned. Finances were looking rough, our relationship was pretty rocky and neither of us felt we had a reason to look up. Friends of hers back in Delaware asked us to rent their house and promised we'd find jobs easy. We talked about it, figured maybe things would be better with family around and I was already buddies with the husband of one of her friends, so maybe I could make some friends to go spend time with in a healthy way.
We sold a bunch of stuff, packed up and moved. We found jobs, we fought, we argued, we settled down, we fought more and then it just fell apart. Oddly things broke at about the same time we were to celebrate our second anniversary. Renee and I separated around our anniversary, too. Jenn went to stay at her parents and I scrambled to find someplace to stay.
Enter Nancy, a new friend from work who was from the same part of PA as me. She offered me her couch and whatever space I could carve out between a half dozen cats, two big dogs, her and her daughter. It was cramped, it was sometimes too hot and sometimes too cold and it was home. Nancy and Sara were, and are, like family, and I will never be able to repay them for their kindness.
During my stay there I started to write a little more, get back into photography and even play Final Fantasy XI again.
Things were getting tense at my work and they were running up on their time to move. I applied for a position with the company a friend in Florida works for and was hired. Said friend invited me to move in and now here I am.
The Phillies are playing game 2 tonight of their second World Series in a row, looking to (believe it or not) defend their championship from last year.
I have great friends and make new ones all the time. I may not be rich in money, but my life is rich. The love of my sons and my friends makes it so. Everything changes; that doesn't mean it goes away, just that ... it changes.
In July 2007, I was newly-married for the second time and off to New Orleans to run a new cable contractor owned by someone I thought was a friend. Instead I found him to be a crook who was stealing from his employees. I wanted nothing to do with it and moved on to be an assistant manager at another contractor for much more money. That owner blew his money gambling and couldn't pay anyone several weeks later, so I was able to move back to a tech position at yet another company. Talk about frustration ...
All the stress didn't help matters at home, which just never seemed to settle into the solid, rock-steady marriage Jenn and I had envisioned. Finances were looking rough, our relationship was pretty rocky and neither of us felt we had a reason to look up. Friends of hers back in Delaware asked us to rent their house and promised we'd find jobs easy. We talked about it, figured maybe things would be better with family around and I was already buddies with the husband of one of her friends, so maybe I could make some friends to go spend time with in a healthy way.
We sold a bunch of stuff, packed up and moved. We found jobs, we fought, we argued, we settled down, we fought more and then it just fell apart. Oddly things broke at about the same time we were to celebrate our second anniversary. Renee and I separated around our anniversary, too. Jenn went to stay at her parents and I scrambled to find someplace to stay.
Enter Nancy, a new friend from work who was from the same part of PA as me. She offered me her couch and whatever space I could carve out between a half dozen cats, two big dogs, her and her daughter. It was cramped, it was sometimes too hot and sometimes too cold and it was home. Nancy and Sara were, and are, like family, and I will never be able to repay them for their kindness.
During my stay there I started to write a little more, get back into photography and even play Final Fantasy XI again.
Things were getting tense at my work and they were running up on their time to move. I applied for a position with the company a friend in Florida works for and was hired. Said friend invited me to move in and now here I am.
The Phillies are playing game 2 tonight of their second World Series in a row, looking to (believe it or not) defend their championship from last year.
I have great friends and make new ones all the time. I may not be rich in money, but my life is rich. The love of my sons and my friends makes it so. Everything changes; that doesn't mean it goes away, just that ... it changes.
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