A few days late in welcoming the Chinese New Year but in this season of high anxiety I feel it best to roll out the red carpet anyway.
Where has this long month gone – with 31 days no less? A few weeks ago we had a different president and now it seems the world [in Washington at least] has turned upside down. It is also “season” here in Florida with guests, visitors, parties and special dinners. This is also Super Bowl Weekend in America and in 12 hours I will have absconded to Europe on business. With a dose of jet-lag I’ll probably see the game anyway at 4:00 am Monday morning listening to it in Dutch.
Somewhere in there – last Monday – the Chinese ushered in the Year of the Ox. The last Ox year was 1997 ~ where were you then?
The Ox is a sign of power and of prosperity arrived at through fortitude and hard work.
I read the other day that all years ending in an odd number are Yin and the ones with an even number ending are considered to be the Yang forms according to the Chinese 12 year cycle. Therefore the Ox year will have Yin forms. Other Ox characteristics include dependability, patience and calm
These are all positive characteristics. We need all the help we can get.
Saturday, January 31, 2009
Sunday, January 25, 2009
Fleeced Again
I stopped by to see my doctor the other day. Actually, to meet my new doctor. To be quite accurate – to see new doctor # 2 as the previous one whom I had never met departed before I had time to register with him. This happens in Florida.
Anyway, the new man, Dr. Hu was asking about my fairly-well controlled high blood pressure. He reminded me of the causes of hypertension and cautioned me to lead a healthy life style.
I told him my blood pressure had spiked recently because of being fleeced. Perhaps he misunderstood me but he replied that it was impossible for fleece, wool or yarn to have any effect on hypertension.
I explained that I had just read another news story about the public being fleeced…. as in money stolen from them. In December, the financier Bernie Madoff had bilked investors of $50 billion [as in BILLIONS]. Now according to Friday’s newspaper, one John Thain, formerly of Merrill Lynch – and just sacked from Bank of America – has done another number on the public purse.
Doc – my blood pressure boils when I hear these stories. Oh impossible, he replies. No one can be fleeced for that amount of money. It is unimaginable. But listen to this, Doc, I say.
This John Thain secretly approved in December an accelerated bonus payout of $4 billion for top Merrill-Lynch employees just as it was going belly up. Further, he spent a cool $1.2 million of Merrill shareholder's money to redecorate his office, including $87,000 for an area rug, $28,000 on curtains and $15,000 for a sofa. An interior designer (for an office?) received a $100,000 fee.
Dr. Hu looked a little pale. Those numbers make me ill, he sighed.
Anyway, the new man, Dr. Hu was asking about my fairly-well controlled high blood pressure. He reminded me of the causes of hypertension and cautioned me to lead a healthy life style.
I told him my blood pressure had spiked recently because of being fleeced. Perhaps he misunderstood me but he replied that it was impossible for fleece, wool or yarn to have any effect on hypertension.
I explained that I had just read another news story about the public being fleeced…. as in money stolen from them. In December, the financier Bernie Madoff had bilked investors of $50 billion [as in BILLIONS]. Now according to Friday’s newspaper, one John Thain, formerly of Merrill Lynch – and just sacked from Bank of America – has done another number on the public purse.
Doc – my blood pressure boils when I hear these stories. Oh impossible, he replies. No one can be fleeced for that amount of money. It is unimaginable. But listen to this, Doc, I say.
This John Thain secretly approved in December an accelerated bonus payout of $4 billion for top Merrill-Lynch employees just as it was going belly up. Further, he spent a cool $1.2 million of Merrill shareholder's money to redecorate his office, including $87,000 for an area rug, $28,000 on curtains and $15,000 for a sofa. An interior designer (for an office?) received a $100,000 fee.
Dr. Hu looked a little pale. Those numbers make me ill, he sighed.
Tuesday, January 20, 2009
My Fellow Citizens
Dear Mr. President,
Good luck and Godspeed. Here is more free advice:
With a stroke of a pen ~ you can close the Guantánamo Bay Detention Camp. This would be a huge public relations boast for the United States – like opening a basketball game with a 3 point pop.
Stop the construction of the Texas – Mexico border fence. If we can’t figure out a way to get along with our neighbors, how are we going to win the war in Afghanistan?
De-emphasize our role as the world’s policeman. It doesn’t work. Let someone else chase the Somali pirates.
The Arabs and Israelis are pounding each other again in Gaza. Fifty years of American involvement and billions of dollars have done nothing to bring peace to this troubled area. With the exception of the bureaucrats who issue visas, bring home the diplomats and stop funding both sides. Let’s take a ten year hiatus and force the combatants to solve their own problems. Take all that money and put it into creating a workable health care system.
Speaking of visas, you need to fix the Transportation Security Administration. The TSA does nothing to enhance security. It is all a waste of time and money. The TSA is good at barking out mindless directions and harassing ten year old girls. Our British friends flew 8 hours from London Heathrow to Washington Dulles the other day and then spent another 3 hours getting into our country. Worse, they are green card holders and are pre-registered electronically with the new ESTA system. How embarrassing. It took me two minutes to pass through customs the last time I entered Europe.
A consortium of American college presidents advocates lowering the legal drinking age from 21 to 18 to stop binge drinking. I agree. While we are at it, let’s bring into line the age of adulthood to 18. This means that upon turning eighteen, one can vote, obtain a driver’s license, serve in the military and buy booze. Put together a committee of middle school students and let them come up with a Code of Responsible Adolescent Conduct. Anyone who meets or surpasses the Code can get a driver’s license at 17.
Finally, Mr. President, play some pickup basketball each Saturday morning. Hitting the hoops will keep you energetic and fresh. You are going to need it.
The Clermont Blog
Good luck and Godspeed. Here is more free advice:
With a stroke of a pen ~ you can close the Guantánamo Bay Detention Camp. This would be a huge public relations boast for the United States – like opening a basketball game with a 3 point pop.
Stop the construction of the Texas – Mexico border fence. If we can’t figure out a way to get along with our neighbors, how are we going to win the war in Afghanistan?
De-emphasize our role as the world’s policeman. It doesn’t work. Let someone else chase the Somali pirates.
The Arabs and Israelis are pounding each other again in Gaza. Fifty years of American involvement and billions of dollars have done nothing to bring peace to this troubled area. With the exception of the bureaucrats who issue visas, bring home the diplomats and stop funding both sides. Let’s take a ten year hiatus and force the combatants to solve their own problems. Take all that money and put it into creating a workable health care system.
Speaking of visas, you need to fix the Transportation Security Administration. The TSA does nothing to enhance security. It is all a waste of time and money. The TSA is good at barking out mindless directions and harassing ten year old girls. Our British friends flew 8 hours from London Heathrow to Washington Dulles the other day and then spent another 3 hours getting into our country. Worse, they are green card holders and are pre-registered electronically with the new ESTA system. How embarrassing. It took me two minutes to pass through customs the last time I entered Europe.
A consortium of American college presidents advocates lowering the legal drinking age from 21 to 18 to stop binge drinking. I agree. While we are at it, let’s bring into line the age of adulthood to 18. This means that upon turning eighteen, one can vote, obtain a driver’s license, serve in the military and buy booze. Put together a committee of middle school students and let them come up with a Code of Responsible Adolescent Conduct. Anyone who meets or surpasses the Code can get a driver’s license at 17.
Finally, Mr. President, play some pickup basketball each Saturday morning. Hitting the hoops will keep you energetic and fresh. You are going to need it.
The Clermont Blog
Thursday, January 15, 2009
The Caribbean Winter League
There is a quaint term Americans use to describe baseball’s off-season – the hot stove league.
This refers to the period between October and February when baseball players are honing their golf skills and recovering from their painfully long 7 month work-year. Team owners are making trades and fixing to increase ticket prices. Baseball aficionados are sitting around their hot stoves contemplating the new season and wishing that summer would arrive quickly.
Indeed, as I write it is wickedly cold in the northern climes of North America (can it really be minus 38 in Minnesota today)? People may indeed literally being sitting around hot stoves sipping buckets of hot grog.
Last week I had the pleasure of visiting the Dominican Republic for the 2nd time in as many years (in my constant search for international schools). There the winter baseball league is in full swing. Each of six teams plays a 50 game schedule and then the best advance to the Caribbean Series to play against the champions from Mexico, Puerto Rico and Venezuela.
If you have had enough ice-fishing, snow-shoeing or blizzard watching, then board the next plane and head south – far south where the sound of a ball hitting a bat can be heard just above the warm trade winds.
This refers to the period between October and February when baseball players are honing their golf skills and recovering from their painfully long 7 month work-year. Team owners are making trades and fixing to increase ticket prices. Baseball aficionados are sitting around their hot stoves contemplating the new season and wishing that summer would arrive quickly.
Indeed, as I write it is wickedly cold in the northern climes of North America (can it really be minus 38 in Minnesota today)? People may indeed literally being sitting around hot stoves sipping buckets of hot grog.
Last week I had the pleasure of visiting the Dominican Republic for the 2nd time in as many years (in my constant search for international schools). There the winter baseball league is in full swing. Each of six teams plays a 50 game schedule and then the best advance to the Caribbean Series to play against the champions from Mexico, Puerto Rico and Venezuela.
If you have had enough ice-fishing, snow-shoeing or blizzard watching, then board the next plane and head south – far south where the sound of a ball hitting a bat can be heard just above the warm trade winds.
Thursday, January 1, 2009
2009: Hope Springs Eternal
Welcome 2009!
I’m glad that you are here and none too early.
Everyone it seems has a message about the New Year.
I saw a sign outside a local restaurant. It is one of those oversized monstrosities that add to urban pollution. The owner tries to make up for this slight by using humor (so I assume). The messages read like this: “All U Can Eat Shrimp” or “Mondays – Porcupine Soup”. Last summer he advertised “Critter Pancakes”. This is Florida after all.
The announcement was “2009 will be a better year”. At first glance I thought it said “will 2009 be a better year?” but then I noticed it was a declarative sentence.
What caught my eye was the fact that the simple future tense was underscored [which I can't mark on this blog format]. Did the sign guy have to make an effort to find the little bits in his box to emphasize the word? Is the underscore character painted onto the sign? Who is he trying to convince? Is business that bad? Here’s a guy who is obviously confident about the next 365 days. I drove past feeling better. Thank you, sir.
So 2009 ~ I have just a few requests: good health, a recovering stock market, an improved environment, peace in the many troubled spots of the world and best wishes to the new American president. And that’s the short list.
Happy New Year ~ here we go.
I’m glad that you are here and none too early.
Everyone it seems has a message about the New Year.
I saw a sign outside a local restaurant. It is one of those oversized monstrosities that add to urban pollution. The owner tries to make up for this slight by using humor (so I assume). The messages read like this: “All U Can Eat Shrimp” or “Mondays – Porcupine Soup”. Last summer he advertised “Critter Pancakes”. This is Florida after all.
The announcement was “2009 will be a better year”. At first glance I thought it said “will 2009 be a better year?” but then I noticed it was a declarative sentence.
What caught my eye was the fact that the simple future tense was underscored [which I can't mark on this blog format]. Did the sign guy have to make an effort to find the little bits in his box to emphasize the word? Is the underscore character painted onto the sign? Who is he trying to convince? Is business that bad? Here’s a guy who is obviously confident about the next 365 days. I drove past feeling better. Thank you, sir.
So 2009 ~ I have just a few requests: good health, a recovering stock market, an improved environment, peace in the many troubled spots of the world and best wishes to the new American president. And that’s the short list.
Happy New Year ~ here we go.
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