There are no words, really… but I’ll try…

I am feeling inadequate this evening. Also very sad, and very, very horrified.  Mr Delbert Belton, an 89 year old veteran of the Battle of Okinawa during WWII has tragically been beaten to death by two individuals who aren’t worth the amount of time it takes to type their names. I am absolutely incensed by the fact that a member of the Greatest Generation has been horrifically murdered by two members of the Worst Generation – the worst generation EVER.  The Gimme Generation.  I’m not gonna play a race card here (draw your own conclusions folks) But seriously  I DON’T CARE what your income level is, or what color skin you have. There is a standard of decency and civilized behavior that must be maintained- and just because you don’t like white people does not give you the right to target and murder a defenseless old man.   Any more than just because you don’t like or trust black people gives you the right to profile, stalk, and shoot them in “self-defense”. This man did NOTHING to deserve what these two sub-humans did to him. Any more than Christopher Lane did to deserve getting shot in the back by 3 lazy good for nothing teenage idiots.

This man Delbert Belton – this Hero, sacrificed of himself so that future generations could live in freedom.  Think about it – if the Nazis had won the War does anyone believe that people of color; or of a different culture, would even still exist? Honestly, the crematoriums would still be burning if Hitler and his cronies had prevailed.   But if you do believe otherwise,  I have swampland in Arizona I can sell you on the dirt cheap.  Delbert Belton and his comrades fought for EVERYONE – and he ended up getting his head bashed in for it.  I wonder – whatever happened to respecting your elders? Hell, whatever happened to just plain respecting each other?   I think I might be able to tell you – but you probably either won’t like it, or just don’t want to hear it….

Its all about entitlement and enabling.  It’s about covetousness.  One of the biggie major sins the Ten Commandments talks about. Somehow, during our efforts to  assist others to better themselves, those we have tried to help have got the idea that they are entitled to what the rest of us have actually worked for. And we help them to validate this by buying into the “race card” idiocy. Which – to be fair – isn’t always idiocy…. But – Tell me, please – since when does decent, caring human behavior come with a color?   A person is a person is a person. If we truly want to have a dialogue and work towards a resolution of prejudice and racism then we have to agree  AND ENFORCE a minimum standard of humanistic behavior towards our fellow man.  This does NOT include beating someone’s brains out – just so we are clear.  No exceptions or excuses.  Excuses are where we get bogged down; where we get foggy.   Here are some statistics:

48.5% of African American children are growing up without a father ( in a single parent family) http://www.withoutafather.com/facts.php  A severely disproportionate number of victims, suspects,and arrest-ees are African American – in New York City at least, as of 2012. http://www.nyc.gov/html/nypd/downloads/pdf/analysis_and_planning/crime_and_enforcement_activity_jan_to_jun_2012.pdfI I have been informed ancedotally that up to 70% of violent crime is committed by African American males between the ages of 16 and 21.  Are the rest of us wrong to be wary?  No.  Wrong to profile – absolutely yes.  But in the case of Mr Belton – Its quacking just like a duck – and loudly. This case, and the Lane case in OK, unfortunately quite solidly reinforced the stereotype.  And guess what? If you don’t want to be thought of and treated like a gangsta thug – STOP ACTING LIKE ONE!

How do we assist  single mothers to raise their sons to respect life, respect humanity – in all its diverse plumage? I don’t think we do it by throwing 50K a year (in MA) non-taxable benefits at them.  ( thats just me though and just so y’all know that’s a LOT more than I make annually!) Delbert Belton was an 89 year old widower and military veteran with nothing of value other than his dignity and a Purple Heart. Why did he become a target?  I think perhaps because we are raising a society that has no empathy, no connection to one another, no moral compass. I don’t dislike anyone based on the color of their skin. I dislike them for the demonstration of their lack of character; their lack of humanity, their stupid sense of self-entitlement, and their complete disregard for the value of life.  As John Mellencamp wrote: “Its what you do and not what you say – if you’re not part of the future, then get out of the way!”    This man was literally defenseless – and yet somehow two lowlife thugs who have extensive juvenile records for assault amongst other things – thought it appropriate to beat him with flashlights until he died. The future holds no place for ignorance, intolerance, disrespect, and injustice. Read a Book, Get Educated, Be Aware, , Ask Questions, Speak Out, Be Responsible.

At some point we need to put aside the racial baggage and start fresh – a clean slate – with the idea that all of us have intrinsic value and that no one should be a target of violence simply because their skin is a different color.  There has to be a standard of proper behavior for humanity.  Not one standard for one group, not an excuse for another. Until there is one standard for all, until the murder of any one person causes everyone to be outraged, until equality means we all play by the same rules – we are, and will continue to be – in a lot of trouble. So if you can’t play by the rules on the field – you should be ejected from the game. We can even provide housing for you – its called prison.  We can achieve true equality much easier if we hold everyone to the same standard.  Delbert Belton’s generation understood this – fought and won a war for it in fact.  And, if we don’t start seriously addressing this problem, Mr Belton will have died for less than nothing.  I, for one, will not stand for that.   Rest in Peace Mr Belton.  You are honored, and will be missed.  #JusticeForDelbertBelton

Related articles

• Friday night memorial planned for Delbert Belton (krem.com)
• The Second Time in a Week, It Appears Another Senseless, Random Murder by Teens. (tacdnews.com)
• Delbert Belton murder suspect transferred, second suspect wanted (nwcn.com)
• Is The MSM Going To Ignore The Beating Death of WWII Vet Delbert Belton? (jericho777.wordpress.com)
• http://www.kxly.com/news/spokane-news/memorial-fund-set-up-for-delbert-belton-family/-/101214/21625394/-/htxggoz/-/index.html

Happy Birthday America!

I am posting this as a birthday wish. I wish we could treat everyone equally, with respect, with dignity, and with courtesy. Every day.  This young woman illustrates the best in us.  Blind and developmentally disabled – she soars – and becomes the most able. There is hope, but we have to – we MUST – work at it. Happy Birthday everyone, love and light to all!

Road Trip

There’s something to be said for seeing the country the old fashioned way.  I’ve been in the mood to take a road trip for quite some time and was fortunate enough to both get some time off to do so, and to have a friend willing to give me a destination point. There’s a connected-ness that happens when you put wheels on the road.  Very distinct, and much much different from air travel.  I’m always a little off balance when I arrive in a city by air ; and that’s not just due to my inner ear pressure being scrambled.  Travel by car allows me to experience the places I travel through directly; and allow my mind and body to acclimate.

Let me talk for a minute about the interstate highways.  Arguably, one of the most significant achievements of the Eisenhower Administration.

Dwight D. Eisenhower photo portrait. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

He signed the Federal-Aid Highway Act on June 29, 1956.   American lives have not been the same since.  At this point our future as the United States was about to become a reality. (Coincidentally for you trivia buffs – Marilyn Monroe married Arthur Miller in White Plains, New York on that very evening)   There’s not an item you have that has not traveled on an interstate highway to get to you – thanks to the truck drivers of America.

As a child of the 60’s and 70’s I can’t remember a time when one was not able to travel on the interstate. My mom can tell you stories of literally all day drives to get from southwestern MA to upstate Vermont taking what we now call “the back roads” all the way. You can still take back roads anywhere but with the interstate, why bother? You can get there much quicker on the highway.  That said, there’s something very pleasurable to me in driving myself somewhere; and experiencing the sights, sounds and smells of each region.  My car wheels roll and hum on the roadway; the tires softly thudding at predictable intervals as they cross the thin lines dividing each section of pavement.  My navigator and sidekick for this adventure – my fourteen year old daughter.  Our destination:  The Blue Ridge Mountains and the Shenandoah Valley – Virginia.

Our GPS guided path took us south through Connecticut and into New York City on the I-95. A hot concrete and chrome fast/slow crush – smelling of exhaust fumes and faintly, low tide.  The City Proper – hazily visible to our left under thundery skies.  The Freedom Tower a beautiful soft focus exclamation point on the mid-afternoon skyline. Next, the crowded hustle and bustle of Newark NJ and the Garden State Parkway.  Everything’s close together and moving fast.

Things slow down and spread out as we reach Pennsylvania on I-78.  Farm country, the Lehigh Valley. Rolling hills divided by neat white fences that  enclose single and twin siloed red barns. Barns with stone foundations that seem to come straight up from the ground itself.  White farmhouses with wraparound porches. Everything neat – spic and span; as the saying goes. The first haying has come and gone, the second, now rolled up and drying on the fields. Horses and cows graze contentedly in green gold pastures.  Closer to the road, fence lines are covered with fuzzy, dusty pink flowers,

Some of those dusty pink fuzzy flowers along the roadside.

wild roses, and creeping vines.  Thunderstorms are coming in from west to east and it rains on us sporadically. It also creates splendid cloudscapes as the afternoon sun  lowers behind them.  We stop for a break, and I’m struck  by how similar things are on and around the interstate.  Mile-high signs announcing food, fuel, and lodging. Restaurant and Hotel chains providing the same services all up and down the road.  There’s a standard level of service on the interstate; which gives the traveler a sense of stability as they go along their merry ways.

We resume after refueling ourselves – and the car, and as we leave Pennsylvania behind crossing the Delaware and the Mighty Susquehanna, I am suddenly aware of a difference in the air quality. It’s become softer.  The thunderstorms have now tracked well to our east, but continue to provide a spectacular sky show to my left – as the late afternoon sun turns the line of massive thunderhead tops berry-pink with alpen-glow; with bruised purple foundations underneath. A dramatic, stunning backdrop for the farms dotting the low hills.  On I-81 now, we arrive in Virginia where the air seems even softer and smells sweeter.  I later discover that the scent is a luscious, heavenly combination of honeysuckle and sweet pea.  The Blue Ridge Mountains live up to their name as the sun sets behind the last ridge in Virginia in a purple, gold, and peach blaze of glory. Getting off the highway, we now take the back road directly to my friend’s house. On the way, a white tailed deer is grazing by the side of the road. We slow down to take a look and startle her into bounding off – back into the woods.  It was a nice “a-ha” moment to appreciate.

After arriving at  TL’s house, we settle in and relax, chatting up a storm with her and her son Ceej.  Getting to know the rest of the family – the cats: Miss Katie Scarlett, Paul Newman, Jack Sparrow, and Gandalf. And the dogs: Ruby Thewes and Miss Daisy. (TL has an affinity for literary characters). Mayhem and I felt welcome and at home; bonding with the entire cast of characters instantly.   I  doubt TL and I stopped talking the whole time we visited.  It was great fun.  Next post will be about our profoundly affecting trip to the Civil War Battlefield of New Market  – with pictures – and then later, our trip home.

To end this particular post, I thought I would leave you with a list of my favorite “Road/Road Trip” movies.  What are some of yours? And, do you have a favorite recollection of a road trip you might like to share?

• Duel (1971)
• Easy Rider (1969)
• Electra Glide in Blue (1973)
• To Wong Foo, Thanks for Everything. Julie Newmar (1995)
• The Gumball Rally (1976)
• Thelma and Louise (1991)
• Psycho (1961)
• It Happened One Night (1934)
• The Wild One (1954)
• The Long, Long Trailer (1954)
• Smokey and The Bandit (1977)
• Speed (1994)
• From Dusk to Dawn (1996)

Is it Just Me, or What? Community, Neighborhoods and Crime…

I’m not feeling safe. There seems to be a spike in violent crime in my city and more importantly my neighborhood lately. A home invasion less than 3 blocks from my house,  a domestic/drug related shooting literally behind the parking lot of my youngest’s elementary school less than a mile from the house (and a neighborhood wide lock down complete with staties and K-9 patrols while the suspect was at large) And just last night an 18 yr old drug dealer stabbed a 30 yr old downtown – also less than a mile from the house.  The Viking was walking the dogs in that area literally minutes before the incident.  I think he dodged a proverbial bullet. Having the dogs with him probably provided him with a measure of safety – or at least distance.  See below for links to the related articles.

Last summer the Viking was awoken to the sound of Sophie and her “Big Girl”,  “I Mean Business” bark.  He checked around and didn’t find anything or anyone. But the next morning he noticed the living room window screen had been completely slit through at the bottom.  Good Girl Soph!  Two summers ago we had a rash of break ins in the neighborhood where women’s pocketbooks left in their kitchens were rifled through and money/credit cards stolen.  Please note: this is a very blue collar neighborhood and section of town.  We aren’t well off by any means and we ALL work very hard for what we do have. Not sure why these neighborhoods are being targeted – other than propinquity.  And if that’s the case then the offenders have obviously never listened to the old adage about not pooping where you dine.   Our dogs provide at the very least a good alarm system but frankly I do worry about my Mom and Stepdad down the street, and others in the area who either can’t afford an alarm system or don’t have a dog.

For years now, I’ve kind of scoffed at my mother for locking her doors during daylight hours when she is home – but I am now seeing the great sense in this. Most of my life I’ve been relatively fearless after taking reasonable precautions.   These days, I’m feeling much more insecure.  Is it aging?  I’m certainly not 25 – but I am in much better health than I was at 40 – so maybe?  Or maybe not. These are our streets, and I would like to be able to sit on my front stoop and watch the world go by – without thinking that every person walking by my house might be casing the joint.  Not that I have anything in here valuable enough to steal – but still…. its mine.

Is this type of crime an unintended consequence of the current generation’s sense of “self entitlement” ? In other words, “I want it, don’t care if its not mine, I’m taking it….” Are we not teaching our children proper boundaries?  Does it harken back to valuing things that are worked for; not handed out?  I’m taking an educated guess here, but I’d say yes to all of the above.  And these days  I often think we are more focused on blaming circumstances /bad parenting etc than on holding offenders accountable for their actions.  If you break the law, there are consequences, period.  That’s the way it should be anyway.  Too often theres too many excuses and not enough restitution or justice.

Which brings me to another point: If greater pride was taken by the neighborhood community perhaps the crime rate would decrease.  So:   How do we instill a sense of pride in our neighborhoods when we barely speak to our neighbors? The Northeast has a pretty frigid reputation when it comes to being neighborly. The lack of fluency in English makes it difficult to communicate well with the increasing number of immigrants in the area. They are often not willing to embrace “American” culture, either. They certainly do not trust the police.   Hardly anyone on my street allows trick or treaters at Halloween anymore – the kids have to go outside the neighborhood.  Another good example is our neighbors across the street hanging their laundry – including unmentionables – on the shrubbery in front of their house.  Quite the eyeful as I sat here on my front porch, I must say. Repeated requests from all the neighbors went unheeded (a communication issue perhaps), but finally our community police officer had to tell  them in no uncertain terms to hang their laundry in their backyard…. But anyway – we are isolated in our home bubbles.  Going to work each day, coming home, doing our yard work and chores etc and focusing internally.  I  have never ever been to a block party or community party in my neighborhood, and I only know my neighbors a few houses up or down the street on either side.  Which is kind of sad, and admittedly at least partially my fault.

So here’s what I AM going to do.  Continue being nice, first.  It costs nothing to smile after all.  Increase my vigilance and awareness of whats going on in the neighborhood. Including getting out for walks with the Viking and the puppies more often.  The more familiar I am with things, the more likely I am to spot something out of whack. I’ll be checking on our elderly neighbors.  And lastly – we’ll be making sure the canine alarm system stays healthy, and will definitely be locking our doors even when we are home during the day. Any other suggestions or comments would be  most appreciated. Thanks all!

Related articles

• Does Your Neighbor Have Your Back? (simplisafe.com)
• On Being Neighborly (artofmanliness.com)
• Downtown Westfield Stabbing
• Westfield Home Invasion
• Westfield Shooting

Lavender Blue

My  English Lavender has finally established itself after two years and is taking over from the day lilies next to my deck and patio. Instead of cutting it back last year I left it completely alone, and this spring it ran amok!  Amok! Amok! Amok! 😉  I actually was able to smell it the other afternoon when my allergies were giving me a break. It was divine! And the bees love it.  They go about their business busily while I snap pictures. Unfortunately, they are too quick for me to get a good picture of them, but I’ll figure it out someday….. laughing!

And Just for Fun:  Both of my grandmothers used to sing this to me and my sister when we were little – its derived from a very old English Nursery Rhyme – that has MUCH bawdier origins. This version won Burl Ives an Academy Award in 1948, and was his first major chart topper.  Here’s the song reference:

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• Lavender for a Relaxed Summer (streampointwellness.wordpress.com)
• Lovely Lavender…Cuttings! (smplyliving.wordpress.com)
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• Lavender patch (thesimplelandscape.com)

 

Divide and Conquer

Besides the cheap hooker on the corner, its the oldest trick in the book.  And we are, sadly, falling for it hook, line and sinker.  Give em the old Razzle Dazzle!  That’s what Washington does, Elephant, Donkey or whatever.  They dangle the bait of some hot button yet relatively insignificant issue (in the long run) in front of us. We become incensed (rightly) and lose focus on the bigger picture. Its what they want us to do to keep the status quo.

Time for a brief American History lesson:  Our government was set up by  privileged landowners. Many of them were also slave owners.  When they said “all men are created equal” they were not thinking about anyone other than people like themselves.  Its a hard truth; and we have amended our thinking somewhat in the ensuing years – as evidenced by constitutional amendments, court rulings and new laws for all. But make no mistake folks – our government’s representatives are by and large interested in making and keeping money for themselves, and keeping the power that goes along with that.  Think about how difficult and expensive it is to run for office.  They don’t want an average joe in there. They want someone with a silver spoon- someone who thinks like them.  Now you can get donations- but who are the donors -Corporate, right?  If they are gonna give you money then they expect you to vote the way they want you to.  You are beholden and obligated; so even if you weren’t born with that silver spoon, you have to act as part of that club. Corporate Finance drives decision making in this country and you can bet your sweet bippy that most politicians are in their back pockets- where the money is.  Here endeth this lesson.

So the system ain’t fair,and they want to keep it that way – (Thank you Captain Obvious!)  How do they do that? By highlighting or creating issues that increase the divide between  parties, between right and left, so that the gen pop is more focused on taking potshots and full on sniping at the “other” side. Rather than focusing on Socially Responsible, Common Sense Right (ie Correct) change.  Change that does the most good for the most people. Change that benefits all of us.

One of the other problems is that we all wear rose colored glasses to an extent. We’ve been raised to believe that like us, most people are good and decent. We don’t think, or more correctly – we don’t like to think, that there are A LOT of people who are not good and decent. People who are corrupted by avarice, power, or just plain sociopathy – and who will do anything to get what they want.  We seem to have elected many of them to go to Washington. These are people who think that the rest of us are only good enough to be used.  Remember that the next time you think  ” Oh, the government wouldn’t do that to us.”  This is what the Germans and the Jews thought about Hitler and the Third Reich  -and we all know what a price was paid to fix that problem… Governments are all about self protection.

So folks, lets not focus on the fact that our president forgot to return a service members salute, or that he used an umbrella during an outdoor speech on a drizzly day. Or that our combat troops are having to eat MRE’s once a day as the military support system dials down in preparation for leaving Afghanistan. Given a choice, I’m absolutely positive that any service member would prefer to go home sooner rather than having a hot meal 3 as opposed to 2 times a day. Screaming and yelling at each other about trivialities keeps our attention directed away from where it needs to be, and we need to remember that’s what they want. “Pay no attention to that man behind the curtain!”  Indeed.

Lets focus on cutting waste and stopping fraud and abuse of “entitlement” programs. Let’s  focus on actually educating children rather than teaching them to perform well on a standardized test. Let’s focus on assuring that everyone has their basic needs met – that no one’s going hungry, without clothing, or without shelter.  Let’s focus on changing our collective self entitled attitudes so that we can be content with what we can  afford to have -rather than living beyond our means. Let’s focus. On creating employment opportunities for everyone. Let’s focus on taxation that actually makes sense – a flat tax rate so that everyone pays their fair share. LET’S GET OUR SPENDING UNDER CONTROL AND REDUCE THE NATIONAL DEBT.  And lets focus on making people accountable.  Threats of  “I won’t vote for you next election” carry little weight when our collective memory is even shorter than an Alzheimer’s patient’s. So let’s keep our eyes on the prize, shall we?   We’ve got some first-rate sorcerers in DC, who are really, really good at keeping the rest us off-balance, off-target, and divided.

Related articles

• Divide and Conquer (writeressblog.wordpress.com)
• Time to Abolish Left vs. Right . . . it’s about time we start understanding this necessary fact: We’ve been divided in order to conquer us! . . . ~J (jhaines6.wordpress.com)

The Baby and The Bathwater

I should be used to it by now. The knee jerk reactions that make it so difficult to really affect and effect change.  Somehow, we always end up throwing out the baby with the bathwater – despite our best intentions to do otherwise. And yet I find myself getting more and more irritated with stupidity.  Two great examples of this are the current hot button issues of gun control and dog ownership (particularly pit bull ownership).  Owning a gun and owning a dog carry many of the same responsibilities if you think about it.   You have to make sure your guns are well maintained (cleaned, oiled and stored properly), and you have to do the same for your dog (vet visits, shots, grooming etc) .  You have to make sure your dog is properly leashed or fenced in your yard, and you have to be sure your gun is stored safely and properly and the safety left on when not in use.

For some reason, we cannot seem to figure out a way to hold offenders accountable for their actions. For some reason, its easier to restrict the activities of the population at large than it is to arrest, prosecute, and incarcerate criminal offenders.  I’ll use an example from the workplace.  Most workplaces have a dress code. Enforcing said code presents its own particular set of challenges that may or may not be quite humorous on occasion.  Like dealing with an employee who showed up to work in their jammies and couldn’t for the life of them figure out why they were being sent home – because they dress that way to go to the mall….. sigh.  Or, banning everyone from wearing sleeveless dresses, shirts or tops in the summertime because some of the men decided to cut off the sleeves of their t shirts and the gaping holes gave everyone a glimpse of nasty pit hair…. Instead of telling these guys they had to classy it up they just tell everyone – NO SLEEVELESS.  Baby. Bathwater…. and gone…..

So many people are negiligent when it comes to pet ownership and gun ownership.  Letting their dogs roam free to chase and bite people; leaving their guns out where children, toddlers, and flat out  crazy people can access them (with tragic results).  So what do we do?  Can I get a “Harrumph?” from you all? Because thats what we do. We get on our sanctimonious soapboxes and engage in inefficient hand-wringing – then we make ridiculous blanket laws that restrict and penalize mature,  RESPONSIBLE dog and firearm owners.  Look what just happened in Maryland with regard to pit bull ownership.  Look whats happening within the Gun Control Debate.  You only have to witness the political posturing to become really really annoyed. And I am. Annoyed. To the Max. I’m a centrist, basically. Common sense dictates we need reform -not blanket all or nothing restriction.  Nor do we need to jump into the Way Back Machine and head for the Wild Wild West.  Because we’re doing it again – throwing the baby out with the bathwater; instead of engaging in thoughtful dialogue and compromise to come up with solutions that work for the majority of responsible hard working Americans. Let me list a few ideas:

Brindle pit bull (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Dogs –

1. If you want to own a pit bull you must register them for obedience classes and give a copy of the certificate to City Hall in addition to the rabies tag number when you get the dog licensed.  You must demonstrate re-certification of obedience training every 3-5 years. You must be a homeowner to own a pit bull, or have sufficient assets to cover a lawsuit if the dog injures someone. This goes for other breeds like Rottweilers, Pinschers, German Shepherds, Chows, Dalmatians, and Akitas too – since all these breeds have aggressiveness bred into them. There may be a few breeds I missed here feel free to add…

2. Dog owners already pay increased  homeowners premiums, (depending on the breed, and they may not even cover you if you have a banned breed)  but all dog owners should be required to submit proof of vaccination and licensing to their policy carriers.

3. All dogs should be required to be on leash or in a fenced in yard  when outdoors- subject to fine and/or seizure of the dog if non-compliant. Not all communities have leash laws, and those that do may only sporadically enforce them – doing so only after there is a problem.

4. Dog owners should be required to notify the public that there is a dog on their premises.

There’s probably more but that’s all I can think of right now. It comes down to common sense , really – Which ain’t quite as common as it should be, sadly enough.

                                             (photo credit: Wikipedia)

Guns –

1. I’ve listed several things in other posts so I’ll just summarize here: Background checks for all sales.  Private sales should be illegal.  No actual possession of said  firearm by the buyer until a training course is completed and certification of the ability to use and store said firearm safely is on file with the gun seller, and the new gun owner’s insurance carrier. Yes I do think you should have to insure your guns. No sale to anyone with a history of mental illness ( improve those background checks) Your right to be bat-guano ga-ga does not supersede my right to keep breathing safely.  No sale to anyone who lives with a family member with mental illness. PERIOD. No sale to anyone under the age of 16.. Proof of age required to purchase. Possession of a firearm by anyone not carrying an FID card and proof of ownership should invite criminal charges for both the possessor and the registered owner. Magazine clip size should be limited. Modification kits – illegal.  If a tragedy does occur and the investigation reveals that the gun owner stored the firearm unsafely or improperly or knowingly allowed  someone other than themselves to use the firearm – then the gun owner should be held civilly and criminally responsible.

I understand this may not curb criminal activity or criminal’s access to firearms, but it will damn sure make it less likely that a toddler can pick up his fathers gun and kill a Tennessee Sherriff’s wife with it. And it will make it extremely difficult – if not impossible – for idiots like Nancy Lanza to provide their mentally ill child with access to firepower.  I am in no way saying people should not have guns if they want them. But they need to assure those of us that don’t  they can own and use them responsibly.  SAFETY SAFETY SAFETY SAFETY. And,  SAFETY.

It is a great privilege to own a firearm, and be a pet owner. Both carry great responsibility with them .  If we enforce the laws we already have on the books, that will help also. But if people start understanding that they are responsible for the safety of themselves and others and will be held ACCOUNTABLE by laws that make sense for the majority of people  – then perhaps that baby I’ve been talking about can go get toweled off, powdered, and re-diapered instead of floundering around in the mud. Rant concluded. Thank you, that is all  (for now)

Afternoon Meanderings

Early Spring Water Meadow along Rte 23  Blandford, MA

View from the Blandford Country Club. North Street Blandford MA  Looking down into Springfield….

Spring Stream. Algerie Road, North Blandford MA

Stone Walls along the Roadway near Long Pond Conservation Area.  Algerie Road North Blandford MA

Canadian Goose in its element, and Remnants of a Beaver Dam, Long Pond Conservation Area.  Algerie Road North Blandford, MA

And last but by no means least, my traveling companion and chauffeur for the afternoon – The Viking – patiently waiting pondside while I trekked in and got pictures. And no, I didn’t fall in, or get muddy!

It was really wonderful to meander those back roads today. I grew up there and nostalgia waxed large as I noted how much had changed – and how much had stayed the same.  The afternoon light is becoming more and more spring-like even though there’s still plenty of snow on the ground up in the hills.  The sounds of water cascading over the rocky stream beds, the wind rushing through the pines and dry reed beds, the honking chatter of the geese and ducks – all made for a peaceful backdrop to my self-imposed photo assignment.  Hell, I’ll call it what it was -THERAPY.    I came home with numb fingers and ears, but quite contented. Best of all, I got to spend the afternoon with my guy!

 

A Sorry State of Affairs

I’m back after digging out from the first major snowstorm of 2013. Not happy, our tax refund was held up because we claimed education credits. God forbid we aspire to a college education for our progeny… The IRS wont accept our return until Feb 15. All because they did not do their jobs in Washington. Aggravating, to say the least – especially when we were not notified until AFTER we had filed that the return would not be accepted. And we can really use the money NOW. Not that anyone cares, but we have a leaky roof, and plumbing that needed fixing – in addition to the regular bills. So it would’ve been awesome for the feds to actually give us the money they owe us in a timely fashion. I mean really – if WE owed THEM then you bet your sweet bipp -y that they’d be attaching wages or whatever. but when THEY owe US …. nothin…..

But anyway – Massachusetts is in a bad way. Much waste and abuse. I have discussed this before. Folks who are friends on FaceBook or followers on Twitter have seen my posts. I’ve provided links to relevant information below.

It never ceases to amaze me how the bureaucracy fails to standardize itself. Gotta tell ya: one of the first things I learned when I transferred to the Administration Department where I work is standardizing a filing system. This involves creating an index, so that if I look in any file for a specific piece of information I will find it in the same place in each and every file. For example, in any one of the 300+ case records at our agency I can quickly find social security numbers because the cards are copied and filed first in the legal/administrative section of the record. Filing is standardized and documents are kept in order in the record so that 1. They are easy to find; and 2. Conversely, it is easy to discover when information is missing. We also conduct periodic QA “peer audits” to assure we have what we need in terms of required information.

Apparently all this is optional at the state level, at least in the TAFDC Department. (Lord only knows what the federal requirements are). I have to work frequently with the state -with two different  Area Offices in regard to contracting and service provision. I’m flabbergasted at the differences in what is required for responses to needed information on THEIR standardized forms. One A/O requires the forms to be filled out with “X”. The other A/O – same contract type, same type of service provision, same location; requires the same form to be filled out with “Y”.Not only that, but  how each office goes about doing things can be quite different. What’s good for one AO gets returned to us by another.

I have self-diagnosed OCD. Discrepancies like this drive me flippin NUTS. For example: The paperwork for the same activity code (same type of service) should be required to be completed in a standardized manner. Same answers for the same questions (different numbers/budgets obviously – but the methodology should be the same). Not so. Doesn’t make any sense at all, but certainly goes a long way towards illuminating some reasons why the state financial situation is in such disarray. No set standards.

Which brings me to a sorry conclusion. Much of what is wrong with this country right now is our inability to hold any elected official, any office, any department, any group, or any person to a set standard. There’s always an excuse. Out of the 381 welfare cases reviewed by the MA OIG just under 2% of them were found to be out of compliance/suspect/receiving benefits fraudulently/abusing the system via loopholes. Lack of documentation of school attendance, immunization records and some cases even receiving benefits without a social security number.  Cultural practices of naming children (last names/hyphenation and using the mothers last name) creating confusion because again no standardized requirements on birth certificates, social security card applications etc.  Switch the two last names around and bingo – collecting for two kids instead of one.  Anyway – the whole mess translates to more than $24 MILLION dollars per year wasted on people who were not actually eligible for benefits, or utilized them improperly. Heck, we are sending money to people we can’t even verify a current address for…. (see related article with video below from a local Boston station) Some might say 1.8% is within acceptable statistical limits. I say NO. 24 million dollars wasted per year is by no means acceptable by any standard.

Fortunately, some people in our state government agreed, and the head of the Welfare Department was asked to give his resignation. That doesn’t fix the problem though. Did you know there are currently only 3 Welfare Fraud Investigators in MA? WAY too few if you ask me…. So, MA will “harrumph” around for awhile, make a few ineffective and minor changes, appoint several more high level bureaucrats at six figure salaries to oversee these changes- and go back to wasteful business as usual. Too many bosses and far too few workers. Same old song and dance. I just don’t know what it will take to effect true positive and lasting change in the hulking morass of inefficiency and waste that constitutes Government.  We are constantly expected to do more with less, make do with less. I submit that we would not have to do that on such a constant basis if things were run more effectively and efficiently by those in charge. “But that’s just me….” (Thanks Barney! 😉 )

Old State House, Boston, MA, USA (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Welfare Chief steps down

Welfare Statistics

Massachusetts OIG TAFDC Report

The OIG report takes awhile to load so be patient, thanks!

Related articles

• Oops: Massachusetts finds itself unable to locate 19,000 welfare recipients (hotair.com)  and just so you know – thats about 35% of the current welfare rolls here in the state.

A Beautiful Dawn in the New Year

My mother called very early yesterday morning. I expected it on January 9th because it was Mayhem’s birthday and Mom always calls first thing in the morning to wish her grandchildren a Happy Birthday.  I was not expecting an early call a few days later; so when I saw the caller ID I admit to panicking a bit.  Last year was not a good year health- wise for either my Mom or my step-Dad… sooo yeah.  Fortunately, she was just calling to alert me to the dawn.  She also calls for “rainbow alerts”, and gorgeous sunsets, and unusual bird sightings – outside of our usual conversations.  I will miss that when she passes, which won’t be for awhile yet if I have anything to say about it (which I don’t, but still…).

I threw on a jacket, grabbed my camera, and headed outside in my slippers to the back yard. Our property abuts the dike along the Westfield River, facing southwest(ish) if you’re looking directly out my kitchen door – so the sun actually rises in the winter just outside of left frame in the first three pictures, and well outside of left frame in the fourth. Behind the dike is a cornfield, then the treeline along the river. The next 4 pictures you see are a sort of  “pan” from left to right.  The sky was just beautiful yesterday morning.  By the time I got to work it had clouded over completely and later there was a freezing rain to drive home in. But the lovely start more than made up for it.  I hope you enjoy the pictures.