In house terms, we own an old house in an even older town. According to county records, only three families have lived in this house for any length of time. There is the Davis family, who lived here from circa 1895-1935. The Greenville's lived here from sometime in the 40's until 1978 and then the Young's, us, from 1978 until the present, November 11, 2009. We closed on the house on same day that "old man" Greenville passed away. It is a house that has experienced several upgrades over its lifetime. In our time alone, we have remodeled the interior and sided the house in 1988, tore down the old dilapidated garage and put up an attached porch/two car garage in 1993, an inground pool in 1994, remodeled the kitchen, dining room, master bedroom and pantry during the period 2003-2007. Last year we replaced all the carpeting in the living room, up the stairs and in the two guest rooms. In these terms, it is the house from hell, a veritable money pit.
Russell, on the other hand, is a town that has changed but little since we moved here. The (in)famous hotel burned the same year I started teaching at Knox Memorial. There have been about three other major changes in the 30 odd years we've lived here. The Kunoco was built on the ruins of the town's former gas station (which also burned). It is a convenience store/gas station/occasional meeting place for coffee and forgettable conversation. Secondly, and probably most importantly, was the merger of Edwards Central and Knox Memorial into Edwards-Knox, which prompted the building of a fine new school with the amenities of much larger schools. The old schools were closed, Edwards being partially torn down, and Knox Memorial is in the irrevocable process of falling down. Recently, the "corner store" was torn down by the fire department, a long anticipated event due to the fact that the former store was in ill repair and an unmitigated eye sore.
Of course there have been other "improvements". A library was built next to the fire department, new people moved in but others quietly left, the Catholic Church closed, later to become an upgrade for the library/museum and the old library became a health center.
Our house of 31 plus years comes with 36 acres (39 according to the tax records). We have ATV trails over much of it and I've cut wood up there for most of these years. For the first eight years we lived here, it was the only source of heat we had. It necessitated getting up in the night and feeding the stove so that it would be somewhat warm in the morning. Winter mornings could range as low as -40 degrees (F). Then we put in a propane furnace which allowed us to sleep all night for a number of years. The price of gas began to fluctuate wildly around 2005 and we began to earnestly use the wood stove. By 2007 we had both retired from teaching and began to spend huge chunks of time in Myrtle Beach in the winter. Our house in MB was completed in April, 2009 and we spent odd weeks here over the spring and summer, finally landing for the winter on November 8. Our plans are to travel back north for Christmas and to return early in January to stay until May 1st. We had anticipated staying until May 15 but relatives invited themselves up to stay at our home in Russell before that date and Tricia doesn't know how to say no. My reasoning for staying that late was to celebrate cinquo de mayo in MB, an irrelevant holiday to some in Mexico and the US.
Our Russell home is heated to 50 degrees while we are here and the upstairs is closed off altogether. We hired someone to plow our driveway so that the gas truck could get in and then we drove away. Behind us are a ton of memories, including four extraordinary kids, pets beyond number, our pioneer days (as we call them), our careers, a couple recalcitrant ghosts, Russell Rescue, friends and, of course, our share of disappointments, regrets and disillusionments that make up a lifetime.
Our goal now is to live until our money is gone. Then the kids can divide the houses and hopefully pay off their education loans (yeah, one monstrous regret of ours). Please mix our remaining ashes and find an appropriate place to bury them where we can overlook the house and town.
It is raining now in Myrtle Beach and it is an extremely gloomy day, but I got my run in and all is well. How many of us can actually say that? We have worked hard and been fortunate in a lot of ways. Later today we will sit down and read. Tricia is preparing an appropriate meal for a lousy day and the sun's absence is just a passing inconvenience. Tomorrow will be better. That's why tomorrows are made. Tricia and I recognize that our visions have not been perfect, but they are ours and, anyway, imperfection is the root of all hope.
Wednesday, November 11, 2009
Saturday, October 31, 2009
Before you vote your way to hell
Dear District 23,
As you prepare to vote for candidate Hoffman because he is a "conservative", please consider that there is an enormous gulf between conscientious conservatism and the ugliness of reactionary politics. Even if the man ultimately retracts most of his policy statements, which he won't, the results will be catastrophic.
Mr. Hoffman supports the immediate escalation of the eight year old war in Afghanistan. Meanwhile, in Essex County, the bridge in Crown Point that crosses Lake Champlain and is the only bridge between Rouses Point and Whitehall sits blockaded due to structural weaknesses. Last year we kissed away $620 billion to fund two perpetual wars, a jet plane grossly inappropriate for any logistical purpose and other atrocities. That much money would rebuild every bridge in America and we'd have more than pocket change left over.
He opposes a public option in our health care fiasco because government doesn't belong in our health decisions. No, better leave it where it is, in the hands of Wall Street executives whose involvement can be synthesized to the probabilities of profit and loss.
Hoffman is opposed to ALL pork spending. This means closure or severe reductions to all North Country hospitals, airports, small businesses and Fort Drum. It also promises the bankruptcy of most communities north of Syracuse. Glen Beck would find this attractive.
Hoffman has also regurgitated the flat tax proposal "because it is simpler and cleaner". Especially if you are rich or depend on deregulation, unbridled capitalism, bonuses, derivatives, ponzi schemes and a stock market that fluctuates like a weather thermometer in Canton. Sound attractive? Sound familiar? It should. This is W. economics.
Being a male anti-choice advocate certainly smacks of righteousness as long as you dismiss the inconvenient reality of medically complicated, developmental or psychological issues. If you're opposed to elective abortion, then fine. Say that. Otherwise you are little more than a fool trumpeting some religious hysteria.
So, shall we vote for a man whose principles are largely unprincipled? Is he the proverbial altar boy come to rectify the excesses of our materialistic, godless society? Or is he that society?
As you prepare to vote for candidate Hoffman because he is a "conservative", please consider that there is an enormous gulf between conscientious conservatism and the ugliness of reactionary politics. Even if the man ultimately retracts most of his policy statements, which he won't, the results will be catastrophic.
Mr. Hoffman supports the immediate escalation of the eight year old war in Afghanistan. Meanwhile, in Essex County, the bridge in Crown Point that crosses Lake Champlain and is the only bridge between Rouses Point and Whitehall sits blockaded due to structural weaknesses. Last year we kissed away $620 billion to fund two perpetual wars, a jet plane grossly inappropriate for any logistical purpose and other atrocities. That much money would rebuild every bridge in America and we'd have more than pocket change left over.
He opposes a public option in our health care fiasco because government doesn't belong in our health decisions. No, better leave it where it is, in the hands of Wall Street executives whose involvement can be synthesized to the probabilities of profit and loss.
Hoffman is opposed to ALL pork spending. This means closure or severe reductions to all North Country hospitals, airports, small businesses and Fort Drum. It also promises the bankruptcy of most communities north of Syracuse. Glen Beck would find this attractive.
Hoffman has also regurgitated the flat tax proposal "because it is simpler and cleaner". Especially if you are rich or depend on deregulation, unbridled capitalism, bonuses, derivatives, ponzi schemes and a stock market that fluctuates like a weather thermometer in Canton. Sound attractive? Sound familiar? It should. This is W. economics.
Being a male anti-choice advocate certainly smacks of righteousness as long as you dismiss the inconvenient reality of medically complicated, developmental or psychological issues. If you're opposed to elective abortion, then fine. Say that. Otherwise you are little more than a fool trumpeting some religious hysteria.
So, shall we vote for a man whose principles are largely unprincipled? Is he the proverbial altar boy come to rectify the excesses of our materialistic, godless society? Or is he that society?
Thursday, October 29, 2009
The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse
I've decided to go rogue, much like Sarah the diva, but in quite the opposite direction. This decision stems from the fact that I spent a piece of yesterday evening watching Sean Hannity's America program on Fixed News. What I perceived from his own rantings and the rants of his interviewees, Michelle Maulkin, Ann Coulter, Kyle Rove and even Lou Holtz, was an America owned by four distinct groups. They are, as follows, and not necessarily in any type of order:
1) The uber wealthy
These people represent about one percent of the American population, but they possess more wealth than the lowest 95% of the population, combined. Their henchmen, who include all conservative groups (Americans for Prosperity, Americans for Freedom etc.) and most lobbying groups. Most legislation favors this group since they have also bought and paid for our congress (state and federal).
2) The Pentagon
This arm of the government secures a huge amount of our annual budget. They are unable to discern between viable weapons and huge misappropriations of taxpayer money. Further, they don't care. Their mission is to keep us bogged down in wars without end with causes that are at best shaky and at worst, long since acknowledged lies and deceptions.
3) Wall Street
This one doesn't need much explaining but I like best the description given by Dylan Ratigan. They are corporate communists, moving without regulation, sucking the breath (and money) from the middle class. They see wealth as a right of passage even though they produce nothing, give nothing, but can never receive enough.
4)The truly disturbed
This includes the tea partiers, Fixed News, the religious right, all bigots, fools and plain morons. Their agenda centers on guns, guns, hate talk, what god supposedly says, guns, "traditional marriage", anti choice and did I mention guns?
1) The uber wealthy
These people represent about one percent of the American population, but they possess more wealth than the lowest 95% of the population, combined. Their henchmen, who include all conservative groups (Americans for Prosperity, Americans for Freedom etc.) and most lobbying groups. Most legislation favors this group since they have also bought and paid for our congress (state and federal).
2) The Pentagon
This arm of the government secures a huge amount of our annual budget. They are unable to discern between viable weapons and huge misappropriations of taxpayer money. Further, they don't care. Their mission is to keep us bogged down in wars without end with causes that are at best shaky and at worst, long since acknowledged lies and deceptions.
3) Wall Street
This one doesn't need much explaining but I like best the description given by Dylan Ratigan. They are corporate communists, moving without regulation, sucking the breath (and money) from the middle class. They see wealth as a right of passage even though they produce nothing, give nothing, but can never receive enough.
4)The truly disturbed
This includes the tea partiers, Fixed News, the religious right, all bigots, fools and plain morons. Their agenda centers on guns, guns, hate talk, what god supposedly says, guns, "traditional marriage", anti choice and did I mention guns?
Sunday, October 25, 2009
WINTER IS AN ANGRY GOD
Winter is an angry god, a skeptical disciple of human knowledge, but knowing wherein we live and wherein we die. He loves the frailty best because it is easily exploited. He mingles with the depressive as well as the physical aspects of our natures. He is a killer of such prodigality that he never stoops to a mea culpa or even a 'damn'.
He loves the death, oh especially the death. He is an academic of the ill will, of the contagion, of the eventual hopelessness that engulfs us all by the ides of March. But he isn't through, he has oftentimes a month of cruelty left.
I can see his evil face in the clouds, in the parts of nature that a month ago I loved the best. He takes no notice of me, my desires, my needs. No, none of that, but he knows whence I have prepared for him. He knows the darkness of my soul as he approaches. He knows the weary of the earth. He laps up despair like sustenance and feeds it back.
I know I must be gone. Close up this house and make for a land where freezing isn't the norm.
The product of despair and ill will is destruction and there will be plenty of that this season. Maybe he won't be able to find me. Maybe.
He loves the death, oh especially the death. He is an academic of the ill will, of the contagion, of the eventual hopelessness that engulfs us all by the ides of March. But he isn't through, he has oftentimes a month of cruelty left.
I can see his evil face in the clouds, in the parts of nature that a month ago I loved the best. He takes no notice of me, my desires, my needs. No, none of that, but he knows whence I have prepared for him. He knows the darkness of my soul as he approaches. He knows the weary of the earth. He laps up despair like sustenance and feeds it back.
I know I must be gone. Close up this house and make for a land where freezing isn't the norm.
The product of despair and ill will is destruction and there will be plenty of that this season. Maybe he won't be able to find me. Maybe.
Sunday, October 18, 2009
Goodbye to Texas
I've been more than irritated with Gov. Rick Perry of Texas and his not so subtle asides about seceeding from the union because of Washington. Perry cites such atrocities as gun control, taxation, abortion, stem cell research and general interference with the way Texas wants to do business. Considering the problems Texas has with their prison system, education, health insurance, border lands and general all around bigotry, it's surprising that they haven't seceeded already.
In fact, Washington, let me be the first to suggest that we throw them out of the union. I'm not sure they're worth the expense and aggravation. I listened to the leader of the so called Tea Party group, a Texan, on Chris Matthew's 'Hardball' the other night and the man is a moron. His grasp of history was practically non-existent and his conservative values rejected the fact that our current economic woes stemmed from the brilliant work of Reagan, Bush (1) and Bush (2) in deregulating business practices and spawning an SEC that was proficient only through its neglect of whatever rules still existed.
And yet, no words of protest until we have a Democrat in office. Not a sound. George Bush started two wars, neither of which targeted Al Queda. He failed miserably in stopping the Republicans from spending money like children in a candy store, lured Ted Kennedy into helping him create "No Child Left Behind" laws and then refused to fund those programs, developed TARP to ostensibly keep credit flowing, but refused to put any kind of regulation on this money. The result, of course, was that AIG and the biggest banks split it up amongst themselves as bonuses.
Let's call it "The Raping of America". We can call ourselves a democracy and we can call ourselves capitalists but we aren't really either. We are, for all intents and purposes, an oligarchy dedicated to the proposition that if it isn't good for the super rich, then it isn't good. But I have developed a top five actions for the country to take which would allow us to pay down our debt and to allow for national health reform (single payer) among other social legislative initiatives that have been too long in the making.
1) Stop the war in Afghanistan and Iraq NOW. In the same vein, close the military bases in Germany and Saudi Arabia (as a beginning).
2) Cut military spending by AT LEAST one-half. This year we spent over $620 billion. China spent $84 billion.
3) Produce legislation which prevents influence peddling on Capital Hill. No more economic imperialists that can literally buy votes.
4) Legalize marijuana, sell and regulate licenses to growers, and TAX the sale of it. This will reduce the prison population, lower the crime rate and help us all. I read somewhere that 56% of Americans favor the legalization of marijuana and that the remaining 44% think it is already legal. I know, bad joke.
5) Pass and strictly enforce a balanced budget initiative which includes a severe
reduction in the number of governmental bureaucracies. For instance, why do we need the NSA, CIA, FBI and Homeland Security?
Anyway, thoughts of a dry brain in autumn - waiting to go south. 10/17/2009
In fact, Washington, let me be the first to suggest that we throw them out of the union. I'm not sure they're worth the expense and aggravation. I listened to the leader of the so called Tea Party group, a Texan, on Chris Matthew's 'Hardball' the other night and the man is a moron. His grasp of history was practically non-existent and his conservative values rejected the fact that our current economic woes stemmed from the brilliant work of Reagan, Bush (1) and Bush (2) in deregulating business practices and spawning an SEC that was proficient only through its neglect of whatever rules still existed.
And yet, no words of protest until we have a Democrat in office. Not a sound. George Bush started two wars, neither of which targeted Al Queda. He failed miserably in stopping the Republicans from spending money like children in a candy store, lured Ted Kennedy into helping him create "No Child Left Behind" laws and then refused to fund those programs, developed TARP to ostensibly keep credit flowing, but refused to put any kind of regulation on this money. The result, of course, was that AIG and the biggest banks split it up amongst themselves as bonuses.
Let's call it "The Raping of America". We can call ourselves a democracy and we can call ourselves capitalists but we aren't really either. We are, for all intents and purposes, an oligarchy dedicated to the proposition that if it isn't good for the super rich, then it isn't good. But I have developed a top five actions for the country to take which would allow us to pay down our debt and to allow for national health reform (single payer) among other social legislative initiatives that have been too long in the making.
1) Stop the war in Afghanistan and Iraq NOW. In the same vein, close the military bases in Germany and Saudi Arabia (as a beginning).
2) Cut military spending by AT LEAST one-half. This year we spent over $620 billion. China spent $84 billion.
3) Produce legislation which prevents influence peddling on Capital Hill. No more economic imperialists that can literally buy votes.
4) Legalize marijuana, sell and regulate licenses to growers, and TAX the sale of it. This will reduce the prison population, lower the crime rate and help us all. I read somewhere that 56% of Americans favor the legalization of marijuana and that the remaining 44% think it is already legal. I know, bad joke.
5) Pass and strictly enforce a balanced budget initiative which includes a severe
reduction in the number of governmental bureaucracies. For instance, why do we need the NSA, CIA, FBI and Homeland Security?
Anyway, thoughts of a dry brain in autumn - waiting to go south. 10/17/2009
Monday, October 12, 2009
EMT
EMT
The day we found him
there was stench
and gore
the work of a million maggots.
And I would have retched, really,
but for this moment on duty.
He was a corpulent one,
the mirror of society.
A face in the crowd within a crowd.
The dispatcher called it "unattended"
but I found no palpable evidence
of his ever being 'attended to'.
No name
no provider
no insurance
no past
and now, no future.
Weep not for us, the plastic driven,
numbed by the specter of mega-death,
consumed by greed.
Seduced by possession
O congress, why do I fear this fat man's passing?
The day we found him
there was stench
and gore
the work of a million maggots.
And I would have retched, really,
but for this moment on duty.
He was a corpulent one,
the mirror of society.
A face in the crowd within a crowd.
The dispatcher called it "unattended"
but I found no palpable evidence
of his ever being 'attended to'.
No name
no provider
no insurance
no past
and now, no future.
Weep not for us, the plastic driven,
numbed by the specter of mega-death,
consumed by greed.
Seduced by possession
O congress, why do I fear this fat man's passing?
Rambling on
The volunteer EMT business is a difficult and sometimes frustrating employment of my time. This morning we were called out at 3:30 am to cover for Edwards, a town that seems to have a problem lately gathering a rescue crew. All three of our available EMTs showed up for duty, numb from lack of sleep. The call was for "chest pain, COPD". As it turned out, the woman was more drunk than in distress and more obnoxious than ill. Our ride to CPH was filled with "I need this" and "I need that". Apparently the woman was enamored with me for my diagnostic skills (haha) and insisted on giving me a hug before I left. Well, the woman lived in a pig sty (to be generous) and was individually filthy, which led me to 'bathe' in Germ-X before we left the hospital.
We were barely home when Hermon was toned out for an elderly man, possible stroke. Hermon is another agency that seldom bothers to answer its pages and we barely had time to refuel and grab another portable oxygen tank before we were paged out again, this time to Hermon. This time we encountered an honestly sick man. I was pretty sure, though, that he had not suffered a stroke, but he had injured himself in a fall. Vitals were good and he was alert and oriented. The Cincinnati Stroke Scale was applied and it was negative. No drooping or slurring of words. His neural response was strong. So we took a watch and see attitude to the hospital, this time in Ogdensburg. It was nearly 9:30 by the time I walked back into the house, six hours later.
A friend of my wife's emailed her yesterday evening with the earth shattering republican revelation that he did not think Obama deserved the Nobel Peace Prize. But here is my take on that. Initially, I believe that Europe is so fucking relieved to be rid of the arrogance that George W. Bush portrayed, that the open and widely conciliatory tone of Obama was welcome, even embraced by people who want to be our friends. His outreach to the Muslim world, his trip to western Europe and his overtures to Russia certainly are positive, if not inspiring, events. Cancelling the ill conceived missile defense system next door to Russia was also an enabler for the relaxing of tensions in the area. Not to mention that technologically the system proposed by Bush was years away from being functional, and, in fact, at the current moment, does NOT work at all. Certainly Obama did not expect this award, but unless you give it to Drs. Without Borders, who else can we deem worthy? Perhaps there have been more deserving people of this award, but for this year Obama has relaxed tensions and offered the collective American hand in friendship in stead of the last eight years of belligerence.
Finally, I am rather tired of the whole health care forum. The butt heads who still resent government "taking over" health care would rather leave it in the hands of investors whose only motive is to make money. Most Republicans have been recipients of the 1.5 million dollars that private health care spreads around Washington daily. Calling Obama's plan socialism is not only disingenuous, but pathetic. Republicans fought Social Security for years and even Bush tried to farm it out. Medicare took 20 years to become reality due to Republican opposition. These are intrinsically necessary programs that could be easily funded once we STOP fighting wars that are both of indefinite length and unbearable cost with minimal results.
Which brings me to my unhappiness with Obama. The decision to fund the Afghan war and even to enlarge our presence there is not just short sighted but a singular waste of young men and our very substance as a country. Our presence there only propagates more enemies. We can not kill them fast enough. It is suicidal and we are playing the part of the Roman fool. If the Chinese can run an army on 84 billion dollars a year, why do we have to spend 620 billion? Cut it in half and spend the rest on health care and the poor. In a country like the USA where the top one percent of the population possesses more wealth than the combined wealth of the lowest 95 % of the country, that is criminal. Find me a tea bagger who has information from any other source except Fox Noise, and I'll show you a liar.
Hope I have the rest of the day off, I'm tired. ljy 10/12/09
We were barely home when Hermon was toned out for an elderly man, possible stroke. Hermon is another agency that seldom bothers to answer its pages and we barely had time to refuel and grab another portable oxygen tank before we were paged out again, this time to Hermon. This time we encountered an honestly sick man. I was pretty sure, though, that he had not suffered a stroke, but he had injured himself in a fall. Vitals were good and he was alert and oriented. The Cincinnati Stroke Scale was applied and it was negative. No drooping or slurring of words. His neural response was strong. So we took a watch and see attitude to the hospital, this time in Ogdensburg. It was nearly 9:30 by the time I walked back into the house, six hours later.
A friend of my wife's emailed her yesterday evening with the earth shattering republican revelation that he did not think Obama deserved the Nobel Peace Prize. But here is my take on that. Initially, I believe that Europe is so fucking relieved to be rid of the arrogance that George W. Bush portrayed, that the open and widely conciliatory tone of Obama was welcome, even embraced by people who want to be our friends. His outreach to the Muslim world, his trip to western Europe and his overtures to Russia certainly are positive, if not inspiring, events. Cancelling the ill conceived missile defense system next door to Russia was also an enabler for the relaxing of tensions in the area. Not to mention that technologically the system proposed by Bush was years away from being functional, and, in fact, at the current moment, does NOT work at all. Certainly Obama did not expect this award, but unless you give it to Drs. Without Borders, who else can we deem worthy? Perhaps there have been more deserving people of this award, but for this year Obama has relaxed tensions and offered the collective American hand in friendship in stead of the last eight years of belligerence.
Finally, I am rather tired of the whole health care forum. The butt heads who still resent government "taking over" health care would rather leave it in the hands of investors whose only motive is to make money. Most Republicans have been recipients of the 1.5 million dollars that private health care spreads around Washington daily. Calling Obama's plan socialism is not only disingenuous, but pathetic. Republicans fought Social Security for years and even Bush tried to farm it out. Medicare took 20 years to become reality due to Republican opposition. These are intrinsically necessary programs that could be easily funded once we STOP fighting wars that are both of indefinite length and unbearable cost with minimal results.
Which brings me to my unhappiness with Obama. The decision to fund the Afghan war and even to enlarge our presence there is not just short sighted but a singular waste of young men and our very substance as a country. Our presence there only propagates more enemies. We can not kill them fast enough. It is suicidal and we are playing the part of the Roman fool. If the Chinese can run an army on 84 billion dollars a year, why do we have to spend 620 billion? Cut it in half and spend the rest on health care and the poor. In a country like the USA where the top one percent of the population possesses more wealth than the combined wealth of the lowest 95 % of the country, that is criminal. Find me a tea bagger who has information from any other source except Fox Noise, and I'll show you a liar.
Hope I have the rest of the day off, I'm tired. ljy 10/12/09
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