George
A. Sprecace M.D.,
J.D., F.A.C.P. and Allergy
Associates of New
London,
P.C.
www.asthma.drsprecace.com
RAPID
RESPONSE...Daily Commentary on News of the Day
This is a new section.
It will offer
fresh, quick reactions by myself to news and events of the day, day by
day, in this rapid-fire world of ours. Of course, as in military
campaigns, a rapid response in one direction may occasionally have to
be followed by a "strategic withdrawal" in another direction. Charge
that to "the fog of war", and to the necessary flexibility any mental
or military campaign must maintain to be effective. But the mission
will always be the same: common sense, based upon facts and "real
politick", supported by a visceral sense of Justice and a commitment to
be pro-active. That's all I promise.
GS
HAPPY FATHER'S DAY. And with
the appreciated assistance of this day's edition of The Day, I can keep
this commentary entirely positive. For there are four articles that
deserve attention and approval. 1) "Dismiss The Empty Rhetoric, There Is No Easy Fix To State's Problems". I
tried, back in 1990 when I ran - as a Democrat - for the State Senate
from the 20th District, offering detailed proposals for reduction in
State government before thinking about a State income tax, which had
not yet been passed. For that, I was rewarded with defeat. 2) "More Dark Clouds Over 2016 Election". Here
is an inventory of the mess that was that Presidential election
process. The bright spot was that the VOICE OF THE PEOPLE, as defined
by the U.S. Constitution, was heard loud and clear with the
overwhelming election of Donald Trump as President of the United
States. 3) "Uncasville Medical Marijuana Dispensary Thriving In New Spot, Owner Says." I
agree with and support the carefully prescribed and monitored use of
Medical Marijuana, by ingestion and Not by inhalation. I reject the
"recreational use" of Marijuana: "Stupido. Stupido. Stupido". 4) "Rick's List - Pomp And Circumstance Edition". Here,
Rick Koster reminds us of the fine book "Boys Life" as a primer for
growth into actual adulthood. This of course would be instead of the
faux "adulthood" being lived by too many children who never had a
Father or an actually effective Father in their formative years. So: HAPPY FATHER'S DAY - to those males who deserve the accolade.
Meanwhile, to The Day: WRITE ON!
GS
THURSDAY through SATURDAY,
June 14 through 16,
2018
RR#1
TRUMP WORLD: THE WEEK THAT WAS. 1) The North Korea Initiative: Brilliant in form; highly promising in substance, because North Korea and China need it. 2)
The G7 divisions: predicted and predictable. See two very informative
articles on the subject of America, Europe and "the New World Order". "Why Trump Clashes With Europe", by Walter Russell Mead, in WSJ June 12, 2018, Opinion, pA15. "Who Unraveled The New World Order?", by David M. Smick, in WSJ June 13, 2018, Opinion, pA21. 3) Immigration: Politics at its worst, trying to dig itself out of a self-made hole. a)
We have so many illegal immigrants here because of decades of "that
great sucking sound", having drawn them into this country by the
illegal actions of American business looking for cheap labor and by the
conscious acquiescence of official Washington in not enforcing existing
laws. Now,"Amnesty"? Hogwash. Do the right thing, finally. b) DEFEND OUR BORDERS! c) Fault and punish the "Dreamers", brought here through no effort of their own? Who thought up that asinine idea? Do the right thing, finally. Will the current belated Congressional effort actually become Law? It's almost too much to ask of these clowns. Almost.
"RACISM". DON'T LOOK UNDER THE BED.
It's right in front of your nose.
And once again, it continues to marinate the failed public education
system. In Connecticut, Governor Malloy recently vetoed a Bill that
tried to set standards for dealing with dangerous students in class.
His reason: "because it would have had a disproportionate impact on
students of color and students with disabilities".
Then see the article in The Day, June 12, 2018: "Connecticut Educators
Debate Next Steps On Discipline".
Then check out the excellent expose by Jason L. Riley in the WSJ June
13 (Opinion, pA21) entitled "The Attack On Educational Excellence".
So what else is new? Certainly not the definition of "idiocy" by Albert
Einstein: "Idiocy is continuing to do the same thing and expecting a
different outcome". To our Black Communities:
"CAN YOU HEAR ME NOW?"
GS
RR#3
Direct...and comfortable: The President's statement and news conference
after the meeting.
GS
RR#4
...AND THIS IS NOT HYPERBOLE.
GS
Get
a nice glass of wine OR a cold beer CAUSE here is one for you to
reflect on this weekend - read slowly - absorb quickly - stay
scared! And your thoughts are?
I do not know the source of this essay, but it is an interesting read: Two
or more sides disagree on who runs the country. And they can’t settle
the question through elections because they don’t even agree that
elections are how you decide who’s in charge.
That’s the
basic issue here. Who decides who runs the country? When you hate each
other but accept the election results, you have a country. When you
stop accepting election results, you have a countdown to a civil war.
The
Mueller investigation is about removing President Trump from office and
overturning the results of an election. We all know that. But it’s not
the first time they’ve done this. The first time a Republican president
was elected this century, they said he didn’t really win. The Supreme
Court gave him the election. There’s a pattern here.
What
do sure odds of the Democrats rejecting the next Republican president
really mean? It means they don’t accept the results of any election
that they don’t win. It means they don’t believe that transfers of
power in this country are determined by elections.
That’s a civil war.
There’s
no shooting. At least not unless you count the attempt to kill a bunch
of Republicans at a charity baseball game practice. But the Democrats
have rejected our system of government.
This isn’t
dissent. It’s not disagreement. You can hate the other party. You can
think they’re the worst thing that ever happened to the country. But
then you work harder to win the next election.. When you consistently
reject the results of elections that you don’t win, what you want is a
dictatorship.
Your very own dictatorship.
The
only legitimate exercise of power in this country, according to
Democrats, is its own. Whenever Republicans exercise power, it’s
inherently illegitimate. The Democrats lost Congress. They lost the
White House. So what did they do? They began trying to run the country
through Federal judges and bureaucrats. Every time that a Federal judge
issues an order saying that the President of the United States can’t
scratch his own back without his say so, that’s the civil war.
Our
system of government is based on the constitution, but that’s not the
system that runs this country. The Democrat's system is that any part
of government that it runs gets total and unlimited power over the
country.
If the Democrats are in the White House, then the
president can do anything. And I mean anything. He can have his own
amnesty for illegal aliens. He can fine you for not having health
insurance. His power is unlimited. He’s a dictator.
But
when Republicans get into the White House, suddenly the President can’t
do anything. He isn’t even allowed to undo the illegal alien amnesty
that his predecessor illegally invented. A Democrat in the White House
has “discretion” to completely decide every aspect of immigration
policy. A Republican doesn’t even have the “discretion” to reverse him.
That’s how the game is played. That’s how our country is run. Sad but
true, although the left hasn’t yet won that particular fight.
When
a Democrat is in the White House, states aren’t even allowed to enforce
immigration law. But when a Republican is in the White House, states
can create their own immigration laws. Under Obama, a state wasn’t
allowed to go to the bathroom without asking permission. But under
Trump, Jerry Brown can go around saying that California is an
independent republic and sign treaties with other countries.
The Constitution has something to say about that.
Whether
it’s Federal or State, Executive, Legislative or Judiciary, the left
moves power around to run the country. If it controls an institution,
then that institution is suddenly the supreme power in the land. This
is what I call a moving dictatorship.
Donald Trump has
caused the Shadow Government to come out of hiding: Professional
government is a guild. Like medieval guilds. You can’t serve in if
you’re not a member. If you haven’t been indoctrinated into its arcane
rituals. If you aren’t in the club. And Trump isn’t in the club. He
brought in a bunch of people who aren’t in the club with him.
Now
we’re seeing what the pros do when amateurs try to walk in on them.
They spy on them, they investigate them and they send them to jail.
They use the tools of power to bring them down.
That’s not a free country.
It’s
not a free country when FBI agents who support Hillary take out an
“insurance policy” against Trump winning the election. It’s not a free
country when Obama officials engage in massive unmasking of the
opposition. It’s not a free country when the media responds to the
other guy winning by trying to ban the conservative media that
supported him from social media. It’s not a free country when all of
the above collude together to overturn an election because the guy who
wasn’t supposed to win won.
Have no doubt, we’re in a civil war between conservative volunteer government and a leftist Democrat professional government.
BE CAREFUL WHAT YOU WISH FOR...OR WORK TOWARD.
Observational
and scientific discovery, from the wheel and fire, and even including
atomic fission and also fusion (what fuels the sun) have been about
developments that have been and can be controlled by human beings. But
now, developments in the fields of Genetics and of Artificial
Intelligence threaten and almost promise to escape the control of man.
Genetics is about to be able to create de novo human beings to order.
AI threatens realistically to outstrip the powers of human intelligence
and thereby to become man's master.
Please read the article in the NYTimes entitled: "Moguls
And Killer Robots"
(June 10, 2018, Sunday Business, p1). Although introduced with a
whimsical title and using an "on the one hand...on the other hand..."
approach, the author (Cade Metz) ultimately seems to accept the better
position: "Be afraid. Be very afraid". That is my position also,
although I have a secret belief: that when God sees man threatening to
achieve God-like powers, He will pull the plug on His favorite
creation.
Actually, that's reassuring.
GS
RR#3
You could hear a pin drop!
GS
Once
upon a time when our politicians did not tend to apologize for our
country's prior actions, here's a refresher on how some of our former
patriots handled negative comments about our great country.
These are good.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
JFK'S
Secretary of State, Dean Rusk, was in France in the early 60's when
DeGaulle decided to pull out of NATO.
DeGaulle said he wanted all US military out of
France as soon as possible.
Rusk responded, "Does that include those who are buried here?"
DeGaulle did not respond.
You could have heard a pin drop.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
When in England , at a fairly large conference,
Colin Powell was asked by the Archbishop of Canterbury
if our plans for Iraq were just an example of
'empire building' by George Bush.
He answered by saying,
"Over the years, the United States has sent many of
its fine young men and women into great peril to fight for
freedom beyond our borders.
The only amount of land we have ever asked for in return
is enough to bury those that did not return."
You could have heard a pin drop.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
There was a conference in France
where a number of international engineers were taking part,
including French and American.
During a break, one of the French engineers came back into
the room saying,
"Have you heard the latest dumb stunt Bush has done?
He has sent an aircraft carrier to Indonesia
to help the tsunami victims.
What does he intend to do,
bomb them?"
A Boeing engineer stood up and replied quietly:
"Our carriers have three hospitals on board
that can treat several hundred people;
they are nuclear powered and can supply
emergency electrical power to shore facilities;
they have three cafeterias with
the capacity to feed 3,000 people three meals a day,
they can produce several thousand gallons of
fresh water from sea water each day,
and they carry half a dozen helicopters for
use in transporting victims and injured to and from their flight deck.
We have eleven such ships;
how many does France have?"
You could have heard a pin drop.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
A U.S. Navy Admiral
was attending a naval conference
that included Admirals from the
U.S., English, Canadian, Australian and French Navies.
At a cocktail reception, he found himself standing with
a large group of officers that included personnel from most of those
countries.
Everyone was chatting away in English as they sipped their drinks,
but a French admiral suddenly complained that,
whereas Europeans learn many languages,
Americans learn only English.
He then asked,
"Why is it that we always have to speak English in these conferences
rather than speaking French?"
Without hesitating,
the American Admiral replied,
"Maybe it's because the
Brit's, Canadians, Aussie's and Americans
arranged it so you wouldn't have to speak
German."
You could have heard a pin drop.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
AND THIS STORY FITS RIGHT IN WITH THE ABOVE:
Robert Whiting,
an elderly gentleman of 83,
arrived in Paris by plane.
At French Customs,
he took a few minutes to locate his passport in
his carry on.
"You have been to France before, monsieur?"
the customs officer asked
sarcastically.
Mr. Whiting
admitted that he had been to France
previously.
"Then you should know enough
to have your passport ready."
The American said,
"The last time I was here,
I didn't have to show it."
"Impossible..
Americans always have to show their passports on
arrival in France !"
The American senior gave the Frenchman a long hard look.
Then, he quietly explained,
''Well, when I came ashore at Omaha Beach on
D-Day in 1944 to help liberate this country,
I couldn't find a single Frenchman
to show a passport to."
You could have heard a pin drop.
SATURDAY,
June 9,
2018
RR#1
HMMMMMM.
REAL NEWS VS. FAKE NEWS VS. "FACT-CHECKERS".
Read the article "Skepticism Beats Snopes As An
Antidote To Fake News",
by Amar Bhide, WSJ June 9-10, 2018, Opinion, pA13.
Often,
before using a particular article to support my Rapid Response
offerings, I seek confirmation, often from my children who are much
more adept at accessing Snopes or other sources. But I have had my
suspicions about "fact-checkers". "Snopes's
myth busting can't stop fantasy masquerading as fact either. It's a
for-profit business whose complete reliance on advertising exposes it
to the same forces that stoke fakery. Survival requires more web
traffic than debunking true urban legends can easily attract. And
according to critics, Snopes is biased to the left".
Therefore, be skeptical of everything, "a vital civic virtue".
And CROSS-READ!! - something that I have been doing and recommending
throughout my life.
The Truth is out there, somewhere.
I
FIRST STARTED READING THIS EMAIL & WAS READING FAST UNTIL I
REACHED
THE THIRD SENTENCE. I STOPPED AND STARTED OVER READING SLOWER AND
THINKING ABOUT EVERY WORD. THIS EMAIL IS VERY THOUGHT PROVOKING. MAKES
YOU STOP AND THINK.
READ SLOWLY!
You know ... Time has a way
of moving quickly and catching you unaware of the passing years. It
seems just yesterday that I was young, just married and embarking on my
new life with my mate. Yet in a way, it seems like eons ago, and I
wonder where all the years went. I know that I lived them all. I have
glimpses of how it was back then and of all my hopes and dreams.
But,
here it is.. The back nine of my life and it catches me by
surprise...How did I get here so fast? Where did the years go and where
did my youth go?
I remember well seeing older people through the
years and thinking that those older people were years away from me and
that I was only on the first hole and the back nine was so far off that
I could not fathom it or imagine fully what it would be like.
But,
here it is...my friends are retired and getting grey...they move slower
and I see an older person now. Some are in better and some worse shape
than me...but, I see the great change....Not like the ones that I
remember who were young and vibrant..but, like me, their age is
beginning to show and we are now those older folks that we used to see
and never thought we'd become.
Each day now, I find that just
getting a shower is a real target for the day! And taking a nap is not
a treat anymore... it's mandatory! Cause if I don't on my own free
will... I just fall asleep where I sit!
And so...now I enter
into this new season of my life unprepared for all the aches and pains
and the loss of strength and ability to go and do things that I wish I
had done but never did!! But, at least I know, that though I'm on the
back nine, and I'm not sure how long it will last...this I know, that
when it's over on this earth...it's over for here. A new and better
adventure will begin!
Yes, I have regrets. There are things I wish I
hadn't done...things I should have done, but indeed, there are many
things I'm happy to have done.
It's all in a lifetime.
So,
if you're not on the back nine yet...let me remind you, that it will be
here faster than you think. So, whatever you would like to accomplish
in your life please do it quickly! Don't put things off too long!! Life
goes by quickly. So, do what you can today, as you can never be sure
whether you're on the back nine or not!
You have no promise that
you will see all the seasons of your life....so, live for today and say
all the things that you want your loved ones to remember...and hope
that they appreciate and love you for all the things that you have done
for them in all the years past!!
"Life" is a gift to you. The
way you live your life is your gift to those who come after. Make it a
fantastic one.LIVE IT WELL! ENJOY TODAY! DO SOMETHING FUN! BE HAPPY !
HAVE A GREAT DAY ! Remember "It is health that is real wealth and not
pieces of gold and silver.
LASTLY, CONSIDER THIS:
~Your kids are becoming you.......but your grandchildren are perfect!
~Going out is good.. Coming home is better!
~You forget names.... But it's OK because some people forgot they even
knew you!!!
~You realize you're never going to be really good at anything like golf.
~The
things you used to care to do, you aren't as interested in anymore, but
you really don't care that you aren't as interested.
~You sleep better on a lounge chair with the TV 'ON' than in bed. It's
called "pre-sleep".
~You miss the days when everything worked with just an "ON" and "OFF"
switch..
~You tend to use more 4 letter words ... "what?"..."when?"... ???
~You notice everything they sell in stores is "sleeveless"?!!!
~What used to be freckles are now liver spots.
~Everybody whispers.
~You have 3 sizes of clothes in your closet.... 2 of which you will
never wear.
~~~But Old is good in some things: Old Songs, Old movies, and best of
all,OLD FRIENDS!!
Stay
well, "OLD FRIEND!" Send this on to other "Old Friends!" and let them
laugh in AGREEMENT!!! It's Not What You Gather, But What You Scatter
That Tells What Kind Of Life You Have Lived.
TODAY IS THE OLDEST YOU'VE EVER BEEN; YET THE YOUNGEST YOU'LL EVER BE,
SO ENJOY THIS DAY WHILE IT LASTS.
RR#2
LOYAL AMERICANS WILL CELEBRATE THIS NEWS.
As for the others...
I'LL
BET ON THE DOCTORS BEING WRONG - AGAIN -
when they predict the time of death of a patient.
The patient usually seems to take as a challenge...and wins a
few more months or years.
Here's praying for you, Dr. Krauthammer. A very good man.
Take
a little trip to Valley Forge in January. Hold a musket ball
in
your fingers and imagine it piercing your flesh and breaking a bone or
two. There won't be a doctor or trainer to assist you until
after
the battle, so just wait your turn. Take your cleats and
socks
off to get a real experience. Then,
take a knee on the beach in Normandy where man after American man
stormed the beach, even as the one in front of him was shot to pieces,
the very sea stained with American blood. The only blockers
most
had were the dead bodies in front of them, riddled with bullets from
enemy fire. Take
a knee in the sweat soaked jungles of Vietnam. From Khe Sanh
to
Saigon, anywhere will do. Americans died in all those
jungles. There was no playbook that told them what was next,
but
they knew what flag they represented. When they came home,
they
were protested as well, and spit on for reasons only cowards know. Take
another knee in the blood drenched sands of Fallujah in 110 degree
heat. Wear your Kevlar helmet and battle dress.
Your number
won't be printed on it unless your number is up! You'll need to stay
hydrated but there won't be anyone to squirt Gatorade into your
mouth. You're on your own. There
are a lot of places to take a knee where Americans have given their
lives all over the world. When you use the banner under which
they fought as a source for your displeasure, you dishonor the memories
of those who bled for the very freedoms you have. That's what
the
red stripes mean. It represents the blood of those who
spilled a
sea of it defending your liberty. While
you're on your knee, pray for those that came before you, not on a
manicured lawn striped and printed with numbers to announce every inch
of ground taken, but on nameless hills and bloodied beaches and
sweltering forests and bitter cold mountains, every inch marked by an
American life lost serving that flag you protest. No
cheerleaders, no announcers, no coaches, no fans, just American men and
women, delivering the real fight against those who chose to harm us,
blazing a path so you would have the right to "take a knee."
You
haven't any inkling of what it took to get you where you are, but your
"protest" is duly noted. Not only is it disgraceful to a
nation
of real heroes, it serves the purpose of pointing to your ingratitude
for those who chose to defend you under that banner that will still
wave long after your jersey is retired. If
you really feel the need to take a knee, come with me to church on
Sunday and we'll both kneel before Almighty God. We'll thank
Him
for preserving this country for as long as He has. We'll beg
forgiveness for our ingratitude for all He has provided us.
We'll
appeal to Him for understanding and wisdom. We'll pray for
liberty and justice for all, because He is the one who provides those
things. But there will be no protest. There will
only be
gratitude for His provision and a plea for His continued grace and
mercy on the land of the free and the home of the brave. NOW CAN
WE GET THOSE SON'S OF BITCHES OFF THE FIELD?
THURSDAY,
June 7,
2018
THE OLD AND
CONTINUING PROMISE OF POLITICIANS:
"A chicken in every pot. A car in every garage"
THE NEWER AND CONTINUING ALARM OF POLITICIANS:
A Russian under every bed.
There
is no question that Russia since the 1918 revolution has been totally
untrustworthy and has been a world-class exporter of instability -
especially with regard to its bete noir, America. Its current leader
sees challenging America at every turn as its guarantee to relevance in
today's world. And American leaders have accommodated V. Putin with
attempted isolation and efforts at irrelevance. That, for a nation with
9 time zones, a comparable population and a comparable nuclear arsenal.
Could it be that President Trump is attempting a different
approach, one that recognizes and accepts Russia's central role in
today's world affairs - as a partner if possible? I think so...and I
think that such an approach would go far to rein in the expansionist
tendencies of China.
But not so the cold warriors like Senator John McCain and this retired
Lt. Colonel.
See the attached articles for the latest naked accusations about our
President.
At long last: "WHERE'S THE BEEF?"
Time to "put up or shut up". They and the delusional Leftists are the
ones who are doing great damage to this country.
CRAZY LIKE A FOX.
President
Donald Trump has been accused - by the Leftist delusionals, no less -
of being all kinds of bad things: insane, despotic, stupid, racist,
sexist, ...ist, ...ist, etc.
Meanwhile, he has accomplished more good for the nation in less than 18
months than any President since FDR.
But
there's more. He has unmasked the hypocrisy of the Rhinos and Fellow
Travelers in Congress who really might as well be obstructionist
Democrats. (Republicans and Independents take note in the November
elections.) He is testing the boundaries of Executive power and
prerogative...by using the legal system instead of by ignoring it (with
media acquiescence) as Barack Obama did. This is a service to the
nation: clarifying the scope and intent of the U.S. Constitution. He is
well on track to achieving on the Korean peninsula what no other
administration has been able to do since 1950. He is bring to heel the
greatest supporter of terrorism in the world - Iran - while pursuing a
"Grand Mideast Strategy", according to a recent report (see "Is
Trump Following A Grand Mideast Strategy?",
in WSJ June 6, 2018, Opinion, pA17). And he is challenging frontally,
by tweets, by campaign-style speeches and by action - the current
strangle-hold that the Leftists have placed upon honest discourse and
difference of opinion - in the public square and even in our supposed
Halls of Higher Learning. See "A
Tale of Two Indecencies Shows How We Got Trump", by Andrew
Klavan, in WSJ June 5, 2018, Opinion, pA15.
This
Is A Leader: the precise kind of leader that America needs now and
through the 2020 elections. We still have the power to make that happen
through the electoral process. MAKE IT HAPPEN!
REGARDING
"END OF LIFE" DECISIONS, BY PATIENT, FAMILY AND PHYSICIAN.
Without
dealing with the entire question, the main issues here are
considerations of : 1) Patient Right of Self-Determination, articulated
when mentally competent, and reduced to an "Advanced Directive",
accompanied by a "Power of Attorney for Medical Care" in the hands of a
trusted family member or friend; a treating physician's right and
obligation regarding not providing "Futile Care; the patient or family
right to have the patient's care transferred to a different and
accepting physician.
The critical point here is to take action in timely fashion, before a
crisis develops.
A recent discussion of the subject may be found in the National
Catholic Register, June 10, 2018, by Brian Fraga.
GS
SUNDAY,
June 3,
2018
RR#1
SO MANY ISSUES - AND OPINIONS. SO LITTLE TIME.
1)
An article in ctmirror.org on May 29 reports on deaths attributable to
Hurricane Maria. Only in the 6th paragraph are we told that most of
those were the result of disruptions in medical care, already in
Intensive Care in Puerto Rico before the storm. But that does not
prevent our fearless Connecticut legislators from alleging some
skullduggery by our present Federal government.
2) Several
articles in The DAY report on promising developments for New London
related to proposed nearby wind energy projects and improvements to
State Pier. Did I hear that word "POTENTIAL" again?
Only if the
people and leaders of New London purge themselves of their "Win - Lose"
mentality and embrace a "Win - Win" approach to this city's great
history, natural resources, location - and yes...people.
3) The
recent Editorial in The Day correctly describes what happens when a
candidate for Governor of this failing State (Mike Handler) calls for
"very strong medicine": he LOSES. "You're doing a heck of a job,
Brownie".
4) President Trump's many - and ignored - successes. As he
recently tweeted: "When will this very expensive Witch Hunt Hoax ever
end? So bad for our Country". Indeed! Meanwhile, it's great to have the
leadership of this great nation back in the hands of Realistic Adults:
Trump, Mattis, Pompeo, Bolton.
5) And now about another great
nation nearly ruined by feckless and cynical leaders: ITALY. See the
article in The Day (6/3/2018):
"New
Italian Government Vows To Create Jobs, Expel Migrants"
ATTENZIONE!!
6) "Pushed
By Voters, GOP Moderates Rebel On Immigration".
(in The Day 6/3/2018). On this issue, why the need for rebellion from
the Stupid position of "Conservatives" regarding "Dreamers" and
regarding "Amnesty"? Why not try Justice, Reality and Charity for a
change?
7) "In Prison, 'Reimagining Justice' - And A Governor's
Legacy" (in ctmirror.org, 5/31/2018). Let's give Governor Malloy credit
for this - at least.
8) Articles all over the place about
INEQUALITY, including two in ctmirror.org, 5/30/2018. The Lord said:
"The poor will always be with you..." and guaranteed it through the
vast disparities in human capabilities and in geographic resources that
He established. So: why not Capitalism with a Conscience? Certainly not
Socialism with a Gulag.
Meanwhile, the foundation of America guarantees "LIFE, LIBERTY AND THE
PURSUIT OF HAPPINESS". "Entitlements"? What's That??
9) And finally, something I really know about: Ticks and Tick-Borne
Diseases. Please remember the following advice:
a) Wear occluding clothing
when in the woods;
b) Spray with caution regarding over-exposure, especially for children;
c) Immediately upon returning from the woods, SHOWER!;
d)
Any sensation of "Flu-like symptoms", with or without a rash or other
symptoms, occurring from March - November warrants medical advice and
probably a screening blood test.
e) There seem to be two distinct
populations of people in tick areas: those who have had Lyme Disease
two or more times; and those who have never had Lyme Disease despite
many contacts with ticks. In which category are you?
See, In
battle against ticks, most burden still lies on humans to avoid bites
"ONCE AGAIN, WITH FEELING".
Leftists,
in all nations including our own, have always been totalitarians,
seeking ever more power, hiding and distorting ever more facts,
disparaging and ultimately destroying ever more people who resist. In
America, we still have the means to defeat them at the ballot box...for
now.
AT THE PRESENT TIME, WHEN THE MAINSTREAM MEDIA ARE NO
LONGER RELIABLE,
it is all the more important to stay reliably informed.
To that end I strongly suggest a subscription to the Wall Street
Journal.
As a sampler, I offer titles to the following articles - all of which
appeared in the WSJ during the last 10 days.
• "The Tragedy of Venezuela". Another
socialist paradise.
• "Colleges Give The Disabled More
Leeway". But what means "disabled"?
•
"Conservatives Can Benefit From Liberal Colleges". Absolutely. I
intentionally attended a university that was a den of agnosticism and
atheism after 12 years of Catholic education - and learned more about
my Faith there than beforehand.
• "I'm In Prison for Practicing
Politics", by former Governor Rod Blagojevich.
• "Taking The Long Way Around". The land
grab where " This Land is Our Land".
• "The FBI Spied For LBJ's Campaign".
• "The Real Constitutional Crisis". "The
FBI and Justice Department continue evading congressional oversight."
And
then there is a book, originally published in1968, to which I was
recently referred: :The Way It Spozed To Be", by James Herndon,
Boynton/Cook Publishers, Portsmouth, NH. Read it and weep - and fume
all over again about the rape of Public Education in this country
during the last 60 years. Or you can simply review the section on this
web site entitled "Public Education Politics", about which I have been
writing for decades.
THERE ARE THREE KINDS OF PEOPLE:
PEOPLE WHO MAKE THINGS HAPPEN;
PEOPLE WHO WATCH THINGS HAPPEN;
AND PEOPLE WHO ARE CONSTANTLY SAYING "WHA' HOPPEN".
Which kind are you?
GS
MONDAY
through Thursday, May 28 through 31,
2018
WHATEVER ELSE THIS
YOUNG MAN LEARNED AT THAT SCHOOL,
this was the most important lesson.
Did the school learn anything?
"Adversity is the price to be paid for principle."
Checking
out at the store, the young cashier suggested to the much older lady
that she should bring her own grocery bags, because plastic bags are
not good for the environment.
The woman apologized to the young girl and explained, "We didn't have
this 'green thing' back in my earlier days."
The
young clerk responded, "That's our problem today. Your generation did
not care enough to save our environment for future generations."
The
older lady said that she was right -- our generation didn't have the
"green thing" in its day. The older lady went on to explain:
Back
then, we returned milk bottles, soda bottles and beer bottles to the
store. The store sent them back to the plant to be washed and
sterilized and refilled, so it could use the same bottles over and
over. So they really were recycled. But we didn't have the "green
thing" back in our day.
Grocery stores bagged our groceries in
brown paper bags that we reused for numerous things. Most memorable
besides household garbage bags was the use of brown paper bags as book
covers for our school books. This was to ensure that public property
(the books provided for our use by the school) was not defaced by our
scribblings. Then we were able to personalize our books on the brown
paper bags. But, too bad we didn't do the "green thing" back then.
We
walked up stairs because we didn't have an escalator in every store and
office building. We walked to the grocery store and didn't climb into a
300-horsepower machine every time we had to go two blocks. But she was
right. We didn't have the "green thing" in our day.
Back then we
washed the baby's diapers because we didn't have the throw away kind.
We dried clothes on a line, not in an energy-gobbling machine burning
up 220 volts. Wind and solar power really did dry our clothes back in
our early days. Kids got hand-me-down clothes from their brothers or
sisters, not always brand-new clothing. But that young lady is right;
we didn't have the "green thing" back in our day.
Back then we
had one TV, or radio, in the house -- not a TV in every room. And the
TV had a small screen the size of a handkerchief (remember them?), not
a screen the size of the state of Montana. In the kitchen we blended
and stirred by hand because we didn't have electric machines to do
everything for us. When we packaged a fragile item to send in the mail,
we used wadded up old newspapers to cushion it, not Styrofoam or
plastic bubble wrap. Back then, we didn't fire up an engine and burn
gasoline just to cut the lawn. We used a push mower that ran on human
power. We exercised by working so we didn't need to go to a health club
to run on treadmills that operate on electricity. But she's right; we
didn't have the "green thing" back then.
We drank from a
fountain when we were thirsty instead of using a cup or a plastic
bottle every time we had a drink of water. We refilled writing pens
with ink instead of buying a new pen, and we replaced the razor blade
in a razor instead of throwing away the whole razor just because the
blade got dull. But we didn't have the "green thing" back then.
Back
then, people took the streetcar or a bus and kids rode their bikes to
school or walked instead of turning their moms into a 24-hour taxi
service in the family's $45,000 SUV or van, which cost what a whole
house did before the "green thing." We had one electrical outlet in a
room, not an entire bank of sockets to power a dozen appliances. And we
didn't need a computerized gadget to receive a signal beamed from
satellites 23,000 miles out in space in order to find the nearest
burger joint.
But isn't it sad the current generation laments
how wasteful we old folks were just because we didn't have the "green
thing" back then?
Please forward this on to another selfish old person who needs a lesson
in conservation from a smart ass young person.
We don't like being old in the first place - so it doesn't take much to
piss us off!
Especially from a multiple pierced smartass who can't make change
without the cash register telling them how much!
"FYI."
This will be the introduction to a new offering in the Rapid Response
section of this web site.
It
will offer articles on issues about which I have not yet formed a firm
position, and about which I am certainly not ready to declare a
"Jeremiad".
Of course, any current opinion that I hold on the matter will be shared.
You would not expect less of me.
1) "AMERICA'S
150 YEAR OPIOID EPIDEMIC", in NYTimes May 20, SRp10.
2) "TREAT
ADDICTION LIKE CANCER", ibid.
N.B.
The current half-baked approaches are certainly producing one effect:
no medical personnel, not even "Pain Clinics", want to have anything to
do with treating serious / chronic pain. Legally too dangerous.
Congratulations.
3) "INCOMING
NRA LEADER OLIVER NORTH BLAMES SCHOOL SHOOTINGS ON 'CULTURE OF VIOLENCE'",
from the Washington Post and published in The Day, May 21, 2018.
N.B. Right On!
4) "SEX
OFFENDER REGISTRY: MORE HARM THAN GOOD?", in ctmirror.org,
May 21, 2018.
NB. Do the facts and the Law support this approach? I think not.
5) "EMERGENCY-ONLY
TREATMENT FOR UNDOCUMENTED IMMIGRANTS ASSOCIATED WITH MORAL DISTRESS",
in www.medicalbag.com, May 23, 2018.
N.B. WHAT?? This practice is certainly not supported or supportable by
facts, Law or morality.
6) "ISRAELI
LEADER'S GROWING ALLIANCE WITH EVANGELICALS BRINGS BACKLASH",
in NYTimes May 20, 2018, Nation, p8.
N.B. I believe that the Catholic Church does not subscribe to the idea
that salvation is possible only through Jesus Christ.
7) "LGBT
COMMUNITY CHEERS POPE'S 'GOD MADE YOU LIKE THIS' REMARK".
"The
pope is saying what every reputable biologist and psychologist will
tell you, which is that people do not choose their sexual orientation."
(Rev. James Martin, author of "Building a Bridge").
N.B. This is not news. The Catholic Church has always advised Catholics
to "love the sinner, hate the sin."
8) "SANCTUARY
CITY' RESOLUTION SPARKS DEBATE IN NEW LONDON", in The Day,
May 22, 2018.
See also the Op-Ed by the Mayor.
N.B. The City of New London, probably the most welcoming community in
this State of 169 communities, needs this like a
"Loch Im Kopf".
