Six People That Need to Stop Aging:
1) Bonnie Raitt. She'll always be the Angel from Montgomery. And I can listen to that voice all night long. Please don't stop singing for us...
2) Anyone from The Brat Pack. Their aging in front of my eyes makes me long for the good ol' days...and further reminds me that Time Waits for No One.
3) Chris Matthews of MSNBC. You may not agree with his politics, but especially after we lost Tim Russert, we need guys like Chris to hang around and give us more human-esque versions of political point-counterpoint.
4) David Letterman. Dave, I remember when you used to come out in dress slacks, blazer, shirt, tie, and...wrestling shoes. Stay gold, Pony Boy.
5) Dennis Erickson. I'll admit, this is a selfish pick. DE is the head football coach of my beloved Arizona State University Sun Devils. I would love to see him have more time and energy to get our program back on national prominence. If only...
6. My Wife. I don't know of anyone over 30 that likes to get old. Jo is still gettin' it done, but she's not one for having patience and dealing with gravity and physical wear-and-tear, and every year takes that glimmer in her eye down just a notch. Hang in there, lady!
Six People for Who It's Already Too Late:
1) Robert Redford. Wow, what happened? The world needs more people like you to raise the level of awareness about injustice and affairs of the heart.
2) Dyan Cannon. I can't believe that she recently turned 71. Wow. I loved her enthusiasm, especially seeing her courtside at Lakers games.
3) Madonna. Sometimes it's better to just let go and accept the aging process. I admire that you got yourself in GREAT shape, but you're still a 50-yr old lady playing in a 20 yr old world -- is that really working for you?
4) Joe Elliot / Simon LeBon. Boys, I admire that you still want to Rock On. God knows that if anyone wants to trade places with you, it's me. But have you looked at yourselves on camera? Either see Madonna's training regimen or step aside -- we want to remember you for who you were, not what you are now.
5) Mohammad Ali. Life can be a cruel thing. You represented a generation, and you will always be The Greatest. May the rest of your years be easy on you.
6. Me. What the hell happened? Who is that guy in the mirror?
Saturday, January 10, 2009
Sunday, January 04, 2009
The Bush Legacy
One of the more amusing quotes I've read this weekend was on the topic of how Bush 43 will be remembered by historians. When it was mentioned that critics see the POTUS as clueless and stubborn, former Bush speechwriter Kasey Pipes says Not So Fast, My Friends: (anti-Bush supporters) "suffer from the same flaws the critics say they see in the President: They're too lazy, they're too simple and they're too lacking in nuance."
As most well-studied historians know (and as Obama and his team are quickly learning), the job of POTUS leaves no room for error, and every move is scrutinized and questioned, if not from the opposite party, then certainly by the partisans. No POTUS in recent memory has escaped brutal second-guessing and constructive criticism. Obama will be no exception. Bush 43 left much to be desired, and there were many times that many Republicans felt abandoned and perplexed by the administration's perspective, but it's no different than any other POTUS we've seen in our lifetime. JFK had youthful exuberance and the New Frontier -- he also gave the green light to the Bay of Pigs fiasco soon after taking office. Johnson was instrumental in pushing forward the Civil Rights movements, but he couldn't control the massive anti-war movement at home, resting so heavy on his conscious that he refused to run for re-election. Nixon was a giant in shuttle diplomacy but succumbed to the psychotic strains of paranoia to the point of making a major lapse in judgement, which ultimately forced him to resign. Ford was the right man at the right time to guide America's healing process, but could not overcome the economic recession and double-digit inflation strangling the country. Carter brought hope of being an outsider that was needed to break up the malaise, but only made it worse. Reagan was the pillar of strength our foreign policy needed, and he brought down Communism, but he, too, made a lapse in judgement with Iran-Contra that some say was attributable to his age. Bush 41 rode in on incumbent coattails and the jury was out until he was unable to win re-election. Clinton was an engaging populist and took full advantage of the prior administration's diligence in revamping the economy, but his reckless and callous libido overshadowed any positive influence he may have gained and remains forever tainted. Bush 43 came in as an independent thinker, a governor of a large US state, fully capable on paper, but quickly lost steam with his questionable cabinet appointments to key positions, not to mention his devil-may-care attitude about massive increases in federal spending and imperialistic policies, but on that last note, I will argue that history will show him to be more correct than most give him credit for. Unfortunately for Bush 43, his communication skills and ineffective talent for spin-doctoring has left us yearning for more, and time will be the only solution. But shame on any amateur or myopic critics who are only too quick to mouth off against the man for what they see as a weak leader. As I always say, There's Two Sides To Every Story, and history will soon tell us all of it. I only hope I'm around to see it...and the subsequent washing of egg off many faces.
As most well-studied historians know (and as Obama and his team are quickly learning), the job of POTUS leaves no room for error, and every move is scrutinized and questioned, if not from the opposite party, then certainly by the partisans. No POTUS in recent memory has escaped brutal second-guessing and constructive criticism. Obama will be no exception. Bush 43 left much to be desired, and there were many times that many Republicans felt abandoned and perplexed by the administration's perspective, but it's no different than any other POTUS we've seen in our lifetime. JFK had youthful exuberance and the New Frontier -- he also gave the green light to the Bay of Pigs fiasco soon after taking office. Johnson was instrumental in pushing forward the Civil Rights movements, but he couldn't control the massive anti-war movement at home, resting so heavy on his conscious that he refused to run for re-election. Nixon was a giant in shuttle diplomacy but succumbed to the psychotic strains of paranoia to the point of making a major lapse in judgement, which ultimately forced him to resign. Ford was the right man at the right time to guide America's healing process, but could not overcome the economic recession and double-digit inflation strangling the country. Carter brought hope of being an outsider that was needed to break up the malaise, but only made it worse. Reagan was the pillar of strength our foreign policy needed, and he brought down Communism, but he, too, made a lapse in judgement with Iran-Contra that some say was attributable to his age. Bush 41 rode in on incumbent coattails and the jury was out until he was unable to win re-election. Clinton was an engaging populist and took full advantage of the prior administration's diligence in revamping the economy, but his reckless and callous libido overshadowed any positive influence he may have gained and remains forever tainted. Bush 43 came in as an independent thinker, a governor of a large US state, fully capable on paper, but quickly lost steam with his questionable cabinet appointments to key positions, not to mention his devil-may-care attitude about massive increases in federal spending and imperialistic policies, but on that last note, I will argue that history will show him to be more correct than most give him credit for. Unfortunately for Bush 43, his communication skills and ineffective talent for spin-doctoring has left us yearning for more, and time will be the only solution. But shame on any amateur or myopic critics who are only too quick to mouth off against the man for what they see as a weak leader. As I always say, There's Two Sides To Every Story, and history will soon tell us all of it. I only hope I'm around to see it...and the subsequent washing of egg off many faces.
Saturday, January 03, 2009
Already struggling
First off: a belated Happy New Year to all. As we reach the mid-point of the 3rd day of the year, I am already behind on my New Year's resolutions. One of my resolutions was to blog every day for at least a month -- a couple of months ago, I joined this "club" that gives your blog web-wide recognition but the only requirement is that you blog every day for a month. Well, so much for that one. There's always next month, and hey, isn't February a short month? Next on the list is a regular regimen of diet and exercise. So far, no good. Can I use this weekend as my "transition stage" and go legit on Monday? That works for me. But I still have to "transition". OK, haven't had breakfast yet today, so doesn't that count? Playing cards tonight with the boys, so I'll be indulging in cocktails, but I could help myself by not eating or snacking during or after the drinking hours. A couple of years ago, I was on a strict daily run/walk/weightlifting routine and it worked very well. I'd like to restart that program, but it's been difficult for me to get motivated enough to get up early for the walk/run. Doesn't work after work or after the kids go to sleep -- my work hours are too uneven to rely on for a steady program, and by the time the kids go to sleep, I'm exhausted, too. The "crack of Dawn" routine is the only one that works for my schedule, but it's so difficult to implement because of the cold and dark of the pre-dawn hours -- who wants to get out of a warm bed for that? Sounds like the first thing I need to do is to overcome the objections instead of the weather or hours.
Yes, it's a psychological battle that I fight every day. I just have to suck it up and deal with it. My goal is to lose 30 pounds by Easter, then keep it off to at least July 4th. If I can stay with it, it will stay with me. Anything you do on a daily basis over a 30-day period is more likely to be incorporated into your daily routine for the rest of your life, all things being equal, so I'd like to see if I can push myself enough to make it happen.
What's on your resolution list? Feel welcome to share your thoughts and ideas. I need all the motivation and help I can get!
Yes, it's a psychological battle that I fight every day. I just have to suck it up and deal with it. My goal is to lose 30 pounds by Easter, then keep it off to at least July 4th. If I can stay with it, it will stay with me. Anything you do on a daily basis over a 30-day period is more likely to be incorporated into your daily routine for the rest of your life, all things being equal, so I'd like to see if I can push myself enough to make it happen.
What's on your resolution list? Feel welcome to share your thoughts and ideas. I need all the motivation and help I can get!
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