Sorry to hear this Scooter. I think you are right though - better now than earlier in life. Thank God my parents are in good health, though I can see the signs of aging in them. Memory loss, getting tired out more quickly, more frequent minor health issues. I rue the day, which hopefully isn't close, but certainly is getting closer, of having to deal with something major.
You and your family are in our thoughts....
Friday, July 27, 2007
Thursday, July 26, 2007
More Dad
Finally, the diagnosis that explains the precipitous decline: Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis a/k/a ALS or Lou Gehrig’s Disease.
Neurologist says could be a matter of weeks to a maximum of about six months. I guess if one is going to contract this bad boy, better to do it at 82 than 45.
Neurologist says could be a matter of weeks to a maximum of about six months. I guess if one is going to contract this bad boy, better to do it at 82 than 45.
Tuesday, July 24, 2007
More on the Recycling Scam
I happened to be home at lunch today when the recycling guys came around to empty my City of Austin provided recycling bin. It had developed a pretty big crack in it due to our lovely Central Texas Sun.
The guys kindly replaced it with a new, apparently improved, recycling bin (it seems to be of a softer plastic, less likely to quickly crack in the heat).
But they just tossed the old bin onto my driveway. Is it not recyclable? What the heck am I supposed to do with it?
The guys kindly replaced it with a new, apparently improved, recycling bin (it seems to be of a softer plastic, less likely to quickly crack in the heat).
But they just tossed the old bin onto my driveway. Is it not recyclable? What the heck am I supposed to do with it?
Saving Grace
Watched Saving Grace with Holly Hunter on TNT last night. It was a little intriguing. Set in OK City (when has that happened) and is centered around HH's character--a hard living cop who has lost her Catholic faith. She strikes a guy down while driving drunk (or did she?) and pleads, "Dear God, help me."
A very unlikely angel appears and thus begins her reanalysis of faith.
I'm interested because faith is so little explored on television. I'm also interested because the hard living is pretty explicitly shown.
I hope this will be a serious inquiry and not just salacious television. We'll see.
A very unlikely angel appears and thus begins her reanalysis of faith.
I'm interested because faith is so little explored on television. I'm also interested because the hard living is pretty explicitly shown.
I hope this will be a serious inquiry and not just salacious television. We'll see.
Sunday, July 22, 2007
Dad
Just got back from home and have to report that Dad is not getting any better. I watched him go through a short session of physical therapy yesterday and his hips are just too weak. Even with the walker it is very hard for him to stand up straight and that makes walking exhausting. 20, maybe 25 steps was about as far as he could go. The knees and ankles seem ok but he needs his hips.
Speech is still very difficult for him but he can communicate much to my embarrassment, forcing me to translate to the physical therapist that the guy helping her with Dad, i.e., me, is an attorney. That was Dad bragging on me...made me blush.
The hardest part for me is that I still think of him as a 220 llb., 6'5" guy slinging his 5 year old son around like a sack lunch. Or, hoisting me onto his shoulders as if I were nothing more than a little rucksack. Those thoughts actually made me cry a couple of times on the road home.
I helped set up the television in his room yesterday and he was excited that the nursing facility has cable because he can watch the Weather Channel and Andy Griffith on TVLand (I guess one of the blessings of a failed memory is that every time one sees a Don Knotts/Barney Fife stunt, it is the first time one sees it). He was even more excited that his roommate was looking forward to watching AG, too. Pointing to his roommate (a prominent man in my hometown who donated to the city the land for its primary recreational center), somehow I figured out that Dad wanted me to ask the roommate about AG. The roommate replied that he'd be happy to watch AG with Dad and that made Dad quite happy.
The downside of all Dad's awareness: I almost wish he were not so aware of his situation. He did not seem depressed to me this weekend but Mom said he admitted to being so earlier in the week. He desperately wants to home (it was the first thing he mentioned this morning) but short of a miracle, I don't see that happening without full-time help for Mom. At the same time, he knows he can't get around and is aware of his other problems that Mom is not equipped to deal with.
Another plus: I've seen a lot of nursing facilities that go beyond the depressing to borderline criminal. This place, while not heaven, could be a great deal worse.
As for Mom, she sounded very strong and in control on Thursday and then terrible on Friday. She's better now but this is going to continue to be very rough. She's stronger than she thinks she is but I wish she knew that. She is really torn up about her guilty feelings for not wanting to visit him there but she is a champ when she is there. I tried to tell her to increase frequency and decrease length of visits. I think three half-hour visits are better than two two hour visits. But what do I know?
Speech is still very difficult for him but he can communicate much to my embarrassment, forcing me to translate to the physical therapist that the guy helping her with Dad, i.e., me, is an attorney. That was Dad bragging on me...made me blush.
The hardest part for me is that I still think of him as a 220 llb., 6'5" guy slinging his 5 year old son around like a sack lunch. Or, hoisting me onto his shoulders as if I were nothing more than a little rucksack. Those thoughts actually made me cry a couple of times on the road home.
I helped set up the television in his room yesterday and he was excited that the nursing facility has cable because he can watch the Weather Channel and Andy Griffith on TVLand (I guess one of the blessings of a failed memory is that every time one sees a Don Knotts/Barney Fife stunt, it is the first time one sees it). He was even more excited that his roommate was looking forward to watching AG, too. Pointing to his roommate (a prominent man in my hometown who donated to the city the land for its primary recreational center), somehow I figured out that Dad wanted me to ask the roommate about AG. The roommate replied that he'd be happy to watch AG with Dad and that made Dad quite happy.
The downside of all Dad's awareness: I almost wish he were not so aware of his situation. He did not seem depressed to me this weekend but Mom said he admitted to being so earlier in the week. He desperately wants to home (it was the first thing he mentioned this morning) but short of a miracle, I don't see that happening without full-time help for Mom. At the same time, he knows he can't get around and is aware of his other problems that Mom is not equipped to deal with.
Another plus: I've seen a lot of nursing facilities that go beyond the depressing to borderline criminal. This place, while not heaven, could be a great deal worse.
As for Mom, she sounded very strong and in control on Thursday and then terrible on Friday. She's better now but this is going to continue to be very rough. She's stronger than she thinks she is but I wish she knew that. She is really torn up about her guilty feelings for not wanting to visit him there but she is a champ when she is there. I tried to tell her to increase frequency and decrease length of visits. I think three half-hour visits are better than two two hour visits. But what do I know?
Friday, July 20, 2007
More Subsidy Insanity
As the biggest dairy consumer I know, this subsidy really ticks me off.
From Chris Edwards, director of tax policy at Cato:
To enforce artificially high prices, the government imposes import barriers on milk, butter, cheese, and other products. Without those barriers, consumers could simply purchase lower-priced foreign goods. Imports of cheese, butter, and dried milk are limited to about five percent or less of U.S. consumption.
All these policies add up to higher prices. The Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development found that U.S. policies create a 26 percent "implicit tax" on milk consumers. That "milk tax" is regressive, meaning that it harms low-income families the most.
The Government Accountability Office compared U.S. dairy prices to world prices over the period 1998 to 2004. It found that U.S. prices for butter averaged twice the world price, cheese prices were about 50 percent higher, and dry milk prices were 24 percent or more higher.
So we limit competition, subsidize and restrict imports, all clearly having the effect of increased prices. Then, in order for the poor to afford milk and mac-and-cheese, we’ve got to fund WIC programs and the like.
Shouldn't we stop this? Let's do it "for the children." And me.
From Chris Edwards, director of tax policy at Cato:
To enforce artificially high prices, the government imposes import barriers on milk, butter, cheese, and other products. Without those barriers, consumers could simply purchase lower-priced foreign goods. Imports of cheese, butter, and dried milk are limited to about five percent or less of U.S. consumption.
All these policies add up to higher prices. The Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development found that U.S. policies create a 26 percent "implicit tax" on milk consumers. That "milk tax" is regressive, meaning that it harms low-income families the most.
The Government Accountability Office compared U.S. dairy prices to world prices over the period 1998 to 2004. It found that U.S. prices for butter averaged twice the world price, cheese prices were about 50 percent higher, and dry milk prices were 24 percent or more higher.
So we limit competition, subsidize and restrict imports, all clearly having the effect of increased prices. Then, in order for the poor to afford milk and mac-and-cheese, we’ve got to fund WIC programs and the like.
Shouldn't we stop this? Let's do it "for the children." And me.
Post by Hewitt
On new media, old media, the "outrage" of some lefty bloggers over the appearance by Gen. Petraeus on HH's show, the surge. It is long but worth reading the whole thing. A few excerpts:
"I think such a decision to cater to one party's propaganda outlet renders Petraeus' military independence moot,"[Andrew] Sullivan declared. "I'll wait for the transcript," he continued, before not waiting for the transcript. "But Petraeus is either willing to be used by the Republican propaganda machine or he is part of the Republican propaganda machine. I'm beginning to suspect the latter. The only thing worse than a deeply politicized and partisan war is a deeply politicized and partisan commander. But we now know whose side Petraeus seems to be on: Cheney's. Expect spin, not truth, in September."
...
Over at The Carpetbagger Report, a post concluded:
And speaking of Petraeus, what should we expect from him come September? It’s probably best to lower expectations now. Petraeus’ credibility suffered a serious blow this week when he appeared on far-right activist Hugh Hewitt’s radio show, and stuck closely to the White House script. Many of the comments that followed were as vile, an example of which is "Can you call him Betrayus now? He’s just an GOP stooge in a uniform."
....
What surprises me is that the extremists have fallen so deeply into their own narrative that they are wholly unaware of how their call for strict control of the news and their slander of the widely and rightly admired extraordinary hero that is General Petraeus exposes them to the public as deeply unbalanced, anti-intellectual and far, far removed from the mainstream of America. This disconnection from ordinary Americans is always obvious when a leftist resorts to the most foul sorts of profanity and vulgarity, but the rage that bubbles and erupts again and again is the sort of eye-opener that not even friends can ignore for very long. The demands for the Fairness Doctrine’s return displayed the same sort of zealotry in the attempt to shut down voices not in keeping with their own. The illiberal reflexiveness of the left tells you all you need to know about how they would govern if they ever got close to power.
....
The Administration and the Pentagon have never emphasized enough the direct engagement of the public via the new media, or even the old media in the extended, one-on-one form which is the very best form for explaining the war to the public. The ear-splitting shrieks of outrage at General Petraeus’ interview with me should be a huge signal that this is what the anti-war extremists fear most: The calm presentation of facts at length by those in a position to know them, engaged in an interview the unpredictability of which makes the exchange interesting. Speeches rarely hold the attention of an audience, which is why only small excerpts of them make it on air. Interviews –conducted professionally by a prepared host—can be riveting. The war on terror depends upon sustaining the will of the American people to fight it, and sustaining that will means giving the public the facts, again, and again and again. Making themselves available in at least 30 minute chunks to all sorts of skilled interviewers –Russert, Brit Hume, Charlie Rose, and Chris Wallace are the best on television, my colleagues at Salem, Bill Bennett, Dennis Prager, and Michael Medved, excel at the form as does Laura Ingraham, Dennis Miller and Sean Hannity—is the best way to educate the American public about what is going on in the war on its many fronts.
I and the vast vast majority of listeners/readers are grateful that General Petraeus made time at the end of a very long day for the interview, a day which is nowhere near the end of his three plus years of tremendous service in Iraq and thirty years of service and sacrifice on behalf of the country. I hope he continues to agree to appear on any show or to be interviewed by any blogger or journalist –left, right, or center-- who will treat him with respect and fairness. I hope the same thing for other senior military and civilian officials engaged in fighting the war. Allowing the know-nothing, anti-intellectual fringe to block the flow of information to the American public via invective, slander and scorn that would be to keep the best, most compelling testimony from the public at a time when they need it most.
"I think such a decision to cater to one party's propaganda outlet renders Petraeus' military independence moot,"[Andrew] Sullivan declared. "I'll wait for the transcript," he continued, before not waiting for the transcript. "But Petraeus is either willing to be used by the Republican propaganda machine or he is part of the Republican propaganda machine. I'm beginning to suspect the latter. The only thing worse than a deeply politicized and partisan war is a deeply politicized and partisan commander. But we now know whose side Petraeus seems to be on: Cheney's. Expect spin, not truth, in September."
...
Over at The Carpetbagger Report, a post concluded:
And speaking of Petraeus, what should we expect from him come September? It’s probably best to lower expectations now. Petraeus’ credibility suffered a serious blow this week when he appeared on far-right activist Hugh Hewitt’s radio show, and stuck closely to the White House script. Many of the comments that followed were as vile, an example of which is "Can you call him Betrayus now? He’s just an GOP stooge in a uniform."
....
What surprises me is that the extremists have fallen so deeply into their own narrative that they are wholly unaware of how their call for strict control of the news and their slander of the widely and rightly admired extraordinary hero that is General Petraeus exposes them to the public as deeply unbalanced, anti-intellectual and far, far removed from the mainstream of America. This disconnection from ordinary Americans is always obvious when a leftist resorts to the most foul sorts of profanity and vulgarity, but the rage that bubbles and erupts again and again is the sort of eye-opener that not even friends can ignore for very long. The demands for the Fairness Doctrine’s return displayed the same sort of zealotry in the attempt to shut down voices not in keeping with their own. The illiberal reflexiveness of the left tells you all you need to know about how they would govern if they ever got close to power.
....
The Administration and the Pentagon have never emphasized enough the direct engagement of the public via the new media, or even the old media in the extended, one-on-one form which is the very best form for explaining the war to the public. The ear-splitting shrieks of outrage at General Petraeus’ interview with me should be a huge signal that this is what the anti-war extremists fear most: The calm presentation of facts at length by those in a position to know them, engaged in an interview the unpredictability of which makes the exchange interesting. Speeches rarely hold the attention of an audience, which is why only small excerpts of them make it on air. Interviews –conducted professionally by a prepared host—can be riveting. The war on terror depends upon sustaining the will of the American people to fight it, and sustaining that will means giving the public the facts, again, and again and again. Making themselves available in at least 30 minute chunks to all sorts of skilled interviewers –Russert, Brit Hume, Charlie Rose, and Chris Wallace are the best on television, my colleagues at Salem, Bill Bennett, Dennis Prager, and Michael Medved, excel at the form as does Laura Ingraham, Dennis Miller and Sean Hannity—is the best way to educate the American public about what is going on in the war on its many fronts.
I and the vast vast majority of listeners/readers are grateful that General Petraeus made time at the end of a very long day for the interview, a day which is nowhere near the end of his three plus years of tremendous service in Iraq and thirty years of service and sacrifice on behalf of the country. I hope he continues to agree to appear on any show or to be interviewed by any blogger or journalist –left, right, or center-- who will treat him with respect and fairness. I hope the same thing for other senior military and civilian officials engaged in fighting the war. Allowing the know-nothing, anti-intellectual fringe to block the flow of information to the American public via invective, slander and scorn that would be to keep the best, most compelling testimony from the public at a time when they need it most.
Monday, July 16, 2007
Jeri Thompson "Working the Pole"
From Levin's column today at NRO:
As for Joe Scarborough and his “work the pole” comment, he makes himself sound like the kind of guy who gets the frequent-tipper discount at most of these places.
I know I made a related post before but sheesh, "Work the pole."
I didn't know his wife's name is Jeri. The last time that happened when Jack Ryan (wife 7 of 9 a/k/a Jeri Ryan) was running for a Senate seat in Illinois, Obama became a US senator.
From eonline:
This is Ryan's second matrimonial go-round, her first occurring in 1991 with onetime U.S. Senate candidate Jack Ryan. The pair initially requested that the court keep the terms of their 1999 divorce under wraps, but their custody fight over Alex was unsealed in 2004, when Jack entered Illinois ' senatorial race.
In the court documents, the actress alleged that, during their marriage, her ex had taken her to sex clubs, including one "bizarre club with cages, whips and other apparatus hanging from the ceiling," and encouraged her to get freaky with him in public.
This revelation, not exactly a resume highlight for Jack Ryan, eventually resulted in the Republican candidate withdrawing from the '04 Senate race.
This can't be a good sign.
As for Joe Scarborough and his “work the pole” comment, he makes himself sound like the kind of guy who gets the frequent-tipper discount at most of these places.
I know I made a related post before but sheesh, "Work the pole."
I didn't know his wife's name is Jeri. The last time that happened when Jack Ryan (wife 7 of 9 a/k/a Jeri Ryan) was running for a Senate seat in Illinois, Obama became a US senator.
From eonline:
This is Ryan's second matrimonial go-round, her first occurring in 1991 with onetime U.S. Senate candidate Jack Ryan. The pair initially requested that the court keep the terms of their 1999 divorce under wraps, but their custody fight over Alex was unsealed in 2004, when Jack entered Illinois ' senatorial race.
In the court documents, the actress alleged that, during their marriage, her ex had taken her to sex clubs, including one "bizarre club with cages, whips and other apparatus hanging from the ceiling," and encouraged her to get freaky with him in public.
This revelation, not exactly a resume highlight for Jack Ryan, eventually resulted in the Republican candidate withdrawing from the '04 Senate race.
This can't be a good sign.
Sunday, July 15, 2007
Friday, July 13, 2007
Lady Bird Update
Was in my office kitchen moment ago and watched as the honor guard proceeded to the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center to take her to the LBJ Library. I'd guess that there were two sets of twenty State Troopers riding in pairs before the hearse.
Even though the hearse was empty, many drivers did pull over and stop to show their respect. When did we stop doing that? Granted that most funeral processions pass by so quickly today that it is difficult to pull over quickly enough before they pass but I think it sad that so many just don't care.
My grandfather would not only pull over, he'd get out and remove his hat.
Even though the hearse was empty, many drivers did pull over and stop to show their respect. When did we stop doing that? Granted that most funeral processions pass by so quickly today that it is difficult to pull over quickly enough before they pass but I think it sad that so many just don't care.
My grandfather would not only pull over, he'd get out and remove his hat.
Thursday, July 12, 2007
Nice Words for Lady Bird
at NRO. My Lions Club has been hosting about 28 seventeen to twenty year-olds from Europe and the Middle East for a few days this week. Unfortunately, they were scheduled for the LBJ Presidential Library today...which was closed in her honor. She lies in state (is it "in state" when she really held no office?) there tomorrow and Saturday.
Update: Apparently, she is lying "in repose."
Update: Apparently, she is lying "in repose."
Wednesday, July 11, 2007
More facts about Ethanol Hooey
From today's Tech Central Station (the article is called Political Liquor's Economic Hangover Just Beginning, I couldn't get a link directly to the article):
President Bush has set a target of replacing 15 percent of domestic gasoline use with biofuels (ethanol and biodiesel) over the next 10 years, which would require almost a five-fold increase in mandatory biofuel use to about 35 billion gallons. With current technology, almost all of this biofuel would have to come from corn because there is no other feasible, proven alternative. However, it is unlikely that American farmers will be able to meet such demands: Achieving the 15 percent goal would require the entire current U.S. corn crop, which represents a whopping 40 percent of the world's corn supply [emph. mine].
...
Politicians like to say that ethanol is environmentally friendly, but these claims must be put into perspective. Although corn is a renewable resource, it has a far lower energy yield relative to the energy used to produce it -- what policy wonks call "net energy balance" -- than either biodiesel (such as soybean oil) or ethanol from many other plants.
Moreover, ethanol yields about 30 percent less energy per gallon than gasoline, so mileage per gallon in internal combustion engines drops off significantly. Finally, adding ethanol raises the price of blended fuel because it is more expensive to transport and handle.
...
Brazil and other major sugarcane-producing nations enjoy significant advantages over the U.S. in producing ethanol, including ample agricultural land, warm climates amenable to vast sugarcane plantations, and on-site distilleries that can process cane immediately after harvest. At current world prices for sugar and corn, Brazilian ethanol production would remain competitive even if oil prices were to drop below $30 per barrel, but U.S. corn-based ethanol plants would be losing money at forty-dollar oil, even with the subsidy. Thus, in the absence of cost-effective, domestically available sources for producing ethanol, rather than using corn it would make far more sense to import ethanol from Brazil and other countries that can produce it efficiently — and also to remove the 54 cents-per-gallon tariff on Brazilian ethanol imports.
Subsidies, mandates, tariffs...leave the market alone.
President Bush has set a target of replacing 15 percent of domestic gasoline use with biofuels (ethanol and biodiesel) over the next 10 years, which would require almost a five-fold increase in mandatory biofuel use to about 35 billion gallons. With current technology, almost all of this biofuel would have to come from corn because there is no other feasible, proven alternative. However, it is unlikely that American farmers will be able to meet such demands: Achieving the 15 percent goal would require the entire current U.S. corn crop, which represents a whopping 40 percent of the world's corn supply [emph. mine].
...
Politicians like to say that ethanol is environmentally friendly, but these claims must be put into perspective. Although corn is a renewable resource, it has a far lower energy yield relative to the energy used to produce it -- what policy wonks call "net energy balance" -- than either biodiesel (such as soybean oil) or ethanol from many other plants.
Moreover, ethanol yields about 30 percent less energy per gallon than gasoline, so mileage per gallon in internal combustion engines drops off significantly. Finally, adding ethanol raises the price of blended fuel because it is more expensive to transport and handle.
...
Brazil and other major sugarcane-producing nations enjoy significant advantages over the U.S. in producing ethanol, including ample agricultural land, warm climates amenable to vast sugarcane plantations, and on-site distilleries that can process cane immediately after harvest. At current world prices for sugar and corn, Brazilian ethanol production would remain competitive even if oil prices were to drop below $30 per barrel, but U.S. corn-based ethanol plants would be losing money at forty-dollar oil, even with the subsidy. Thus, in the absence of cost-effective, domestically available sources for producing ethanol, rather than using corn it would make far more sense to import ethanol from Brazil and other countries that can produce it efficiently — and also to remove the 54 cents-per-gallon tariff on Brazilian ethanol imports.
Subsidies, mandates, tariffs...leave the market alone.
Tuesday, July 10, 2007
Monday, July 09, 2007
Re: What a Shock Comments
While I don't justify the pardons of one administration by comparing those of other administrations, don't forget the FALN pardons.
Thursday, July 05, 2007
Expanding the Dennis Miller Radio Universe
Had lunch today with the news director of a heritage radio station here in Austin. The discussion centered on what he believes will be a complete revolution of the radio industry in the next 6-8 years. Think having your car and home radio being wi-fi and all streaming audio all the time.
He asked if I listen to streaming audio on the web and I said I did. He asked what I listened to and I said, "the Dennis Miller Show." He then said he was thinking about bringing Miller to Austin and I told him he had me as a listener. I already fit his station's demographic so he knows he already has me, but I hope I helped.
He asked if I listen to streaming audio on the web and I said I did. He asked what I listened to and I said, "the Dennis Miller Show." He then said he was thinking about bringing Miller to Austin and I told him he had me as a listener. I already fit his station's demographic so he knows he already has me, but I hope I helped.
Dad
My Dad is ailing. It is a family tragedy and Mom is a basket case but stepping back from all the emotional stuff, it is difficult to lament too much. He's 82 and has had a very full life. Lived through the Depression (and like many of his generation it practically defined him or at least the way he lived...he built my very first bike after finding a discarded bike frame on the side of the road), served in the Marine Corps in occupied Japan, was a professional engineer, married a great woman and raised four kids, even if three of them graduated from aTm.
Having said that, his condition has caused me to think about him a lot. I visited him yesterday after he was transferred from a hospital to a rehab center, the hope being that he can be mobile enough and take care of himself enough that he can continue to live at home. If not, then (gasp) it looks like some kind of nursing home will be in order.
One thing that happened yesterday gave me some strange comfort. My Mom mentioned to me (when I dutifully called home to report in that I made it home safely) that one of my sisters was visiting Dad last night when they brought his meal to him in his room. I guess she asked if he preferred to eat in the dining room with the other rehab patients and he said, "Yes." It may seem like a small thing but I think it is huge. When I think about it, almost my entire life the only friends Dad has had are those who have been thrust upon him by Mom or us kids. The only adult friends I ever really remembering him having were husbands of Mom's friends or parents of the friends of us kids. That he wanted to eat with folks he doesn't know was huge in my mind. I don't remember him ever doing that...ever. That he wanted to do so gives me some hope of his ability to cope if he has to move into a nursing facility.
Side note: when I wheeled Dad into the dining room for his lunch yesterday, the man directly across from Dad was a dead-ringer for Junior Soprano. Bald head, exact same glasses.
On the other hand it caused me to realize that at least for the last 48 years this has been a man dedicated to only one thing: his family. Completely, utterly dedicated. I remember fondly all the weekends (one a month for about five years) he gave up to transport and accompany my brother and me on Scouting camp outs and giving up every Tuesday night for the Troop meetings. I even remember one camp out that a subset of my Troop (a patrol) took. He was the only adult and we were camping in what was then a rural area north of Dallas (now part of the Dallas sprawl near Frisco). Doesn't sound like much until you learn that it was during the middle of a big freeze. I suspect it never rose above 40F the entire weekend. I distinctly recall that the creek running through the farm (or ranch or whatever it was) was frozen enough that we could walk on it. Dad slept in the station wagon. He also drove two friends of mine and me 200 miles for a weekend of spelunking at what is now Longhorn Caverns (used to be open to public, meaning anyone could go in at any time...alone...we had to swim through some parts).
In today's world of what (this childless lawyer perceives to be) hyper-attention to kids...making sure they get to their ballet lessons, baseball and soccer practices, this may not seem like that much, but looking back, Dad was way outside the norm.
Having said that, his condition has caused me to think about him a lot. I visited him yesterday after he was transferred from a hospital to a rehab center, the hope being that he can be mobile enough and take care of himself enough that he can continue to live at home. If not, then (gasp) it looks like some kind of nursing home will be in order.
One thing that happened yesterday gave me some strange comfort. My Mom mentioned to me (when I dutifully called home to report in that I made it home safely) that one of my sisters was visiting Dad last night when they brought his meal to him in his room. I guess she asked if he preferred to eat in the dining room with the other rehab patients and he said, "Yes." It may seem like a small thing but I think it is huge. When I think about it, almost my entire life the only friends Dad has had are those who have been thrust upon him by Mom or us kids. The only adult friends I ever really remembering him having were husbands of Mom's friends or parents of the friends of us kids. That he wanted to eat with folks he doesn't know was huge in my mind. I don't remember him ever doing that...ever. That he wanted to do so gives me some hope of his ability to cope if he has to move into a nursing facility.
Side note: when I wheeled Dad into the dining room for his lunch yesterday, the man directly across from Dad was a dead-ringer for Junior Soprano. Bald head, exact same glasses.
On the other hand it caused me to realize that at least for the last 48 years this has been a man dedicated to only one thing: his family. Completely, utterly dedicated. I remember fondly all the weekends (one a month for about five years) he gave up to transport and accompany my brother and me on Scouting camp outs and giving up every Tuesday night for the Troop meetings. I even remember one camp out that a subset of my Troop (a patrol) took. He was the only adult and we were camping in what was then a rural area north of Dallas (now part of the Dallas sprawl near Frisco). Doesn't sound like much until you learn that it was during the middle of a big freeze. I suspect it never rose above 40F the entire weekend. I distinctly recall that the creek running through the farm (or ranch or whatever it was) was frozen enough that we could walk on it. Dad slept in the station wagon. He also drove two friends of mine and me 200 miles for a weekend of spelunking at what is now Longhorn Caverns (used to be open to public, meaning anyone could go in at any time...alone...we had to swim through some parts).
In today's world of what (this childless lawyer perceives to be) hyper-attention to kids...making sure they get to their ballet lessons, baseball and soccer practices, this may not seem like that much, but looking back, Dad was way outside the norm.
It's floodin' down in Texas....
Last weekend I traveled to Houston and during the week I traveled to Athens. I've crossed the Colorado River at least six times and the Brazos and Trinity Rivers twice each. Word today is that Texoma will be over its dam shortly so the Red will be up soon if not already.
42 years in Texas and I've never seen this much water. Amazing.
42 years in Texas and I've never seen this much water. Amazing.
Re: What a Shock
From Alan Dershowitz (hardly a conservative, whether neo or paleo) at the Huffington Post:
This was entirely a political case from beginning to end. Libby's actions were political. The decision to appoint a special prosecutor was political. The trial judges' rulings were political. The appellate court judges' decision to deny bail was political. And the president's decision to commute the sentence was political. But only the president acted within his authority by acting politically in commuting the politically motivated sentence.
This was entirely a political case from beginning to end. Libby's actions were political. The decision to appoint a special prosecutor was political. The trial judges' rulings were political. The appellate court judges' decision to deny bail was political. And the president's decision to commute the sentence was political. But only the president acted within his authority by acting politically in commuting the politically motivated sentence.
Tuesday, July 03, 2007
What a shock
Scooter (not ours, the "other" famous Scooter) gets out of doing prison time. I want to meet the person who didn't see this coming....
Thursday, June 28, 2007
NOT...
that I don't think she makes outrageous statements in her quest for book sales. Still, at least Ms. Coulter, brings arguments to bear that get lost, however bracingly she addresses them.
[Edit hat tip: Stephanie.]
[Edit hat tip: Stephanie.]
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