Watching Chris Matthews tonight, I couldn't help but be embarrassed for him. He melted like a pad of warm butter all over Alan Greenspan. As I see it, this is one of Chris' major flaws. He seems so personally awed by so many of the major players in and around Washington he exhibits no professional distance in his interviews. It's more like he's interviewing his best friend each time, and god forbid he ask them a hard question that would endanger their personal relationship. He's "embedded" himself in the Washington scene far too long and has lost almost all of his impartiality.
Even when talking about someone like president Bush, who's record of failure should speak for itself, he's stated how much 'respect he has for the man'. Sometimes when Chris says things like that it almost makes my head spin around and I think, did he really just say that?
What's equally weird are the times when he really seems to be back within the bounds of reality. Sure, if you're honest with yourself your feelings can change about certain things as you grow and learn, but as I've watched Chris over the years it appears depending on the day, his mood, or something unknown [to me] that he'll be on opposite sides of the issue.
It's like there's two separate Chris Matthews, one voice coming from his head and the other coming from his heart.
Now regarding Greenspan's comments tonight about how social security should ultimately be 'fixed', he says that cutting entitlements will have to be done.
Now I'm currently "living" on a single social security disability payment each month, similar to what retirees with no other source of income do (I have no 'assets' whatsoever).
I'm just trying to think about what they're supposed to do if their benefits are reduced.
Barely above the poverty line as it is, there is no way that they should have to even contemplate trying to get by on less than they already have, especially when the rich are getting richer (and growing in numbers). Greenspan's cold assessment doesn't include those factors it seems.
They seemed to dance around the fact that one of the major factors in the equation is the massive profits the HMOs and pharmaceutical companies suck out of the system, made worse by raising their rates far above the rate of inflation. The subject about reigning in that major problem is rarely mentioned, and when it is, the agents of the health care lobby (and their partners on strategic government committees) come to their rescue.
The way our government runs these days is shameful. Sure lobbyists aren't new or inherently bad, but the balance is so tilted to one side now that the public's 'representatives' don't work for them, but in many cases look to be working directly against them, giving much too much weight to the upper class and major business interests. And although there are some wonderful, caring people included in this upper class, all too many seem to live by the motto "I've got mine, if you can't get here by yourself, too bad" (or "Sucks to be you!")
When I try to distill this in my head and relate it to the Democrats and Republicans, the Democrats lean towards helping their fellow Americans who are in need, and the Republicans lean towards helping only themselves, and only those who share their philosophy (and wealth). And this attitude has been 'distilled' over the past seven years by the man and administration who promised to "unite" the country.
And briefly, I want to get into my feelings about why someone who I admire greatly, namely Keith Olbermann, is so reticent to say anything relating to some other members of the media's comments, especially (but not solely) in the case of Chris Matthews, "My good friend".
I hope he does speak up at least privately behind the scenes. I know he has to work with him, and it's unreasonable for me to expect absolute honesty from Keith in this particular situation, but from what I've seen of Keith's character, and the 'special comments' that are so right-on, he must cringe [inside] at some of the inane statements and positions Matthews has come out with. And to speak out against comments others in the media have made, as he does regularly (and rightly so), then neglect those made by his "good friend" is less than I expect (even if it is unreasonable) from the conscientious professional I admire.
The other night after the Republican debate Chris was his usual manic (rude?) self interrupting Keith and not taking time to hear the points Keith was making in favor of his point, whatever that was.. I got the feeling that even his good friend was testing his patience at that point.
So often Chris' interviews are more like an interrogation than an interview.
Chris calls it "Hardball", but all too often it's just him rudely pushing his own twisted philosophy down the throats of his 'guests'.
What makes me shake my head is every once in a while he acts perfectly normal, reasonable and courteous. Seriously, it makes me think he needs medication. I wonder what psychiatrists think when they watch his show?
Thursday, October 11, 2007
Wednesday, October 10, 2007
Not the way I wanted to start my day
It started like most of my days start, waking up from a strange dream, and although this one had some new characters starring in it, it was disturbing. On the other hand, it was interesting to see some old high school friends again!
A bit groggy, I got on with my business and soon was out the door on my way to the grocery store about a block away to exchange some pork that had gone 'green' before it's expiration date.
On the way there I took my usual shortcut through an alley behind a bar-restaurant that's on the ground floor of my building. I had some junk mail to get rid of and our dumpster is back there in it's new spot since the brand-new parking garage was built by the city.
Right next to the dumpster is a new set of concrete stairs (in fact the whole back area is brand new concrete), and smack dab in the middle of the stairs was the remnants of a french roll and it's contents, which included some kind of yellowish goopy sauce spread all over the top step.
Now it's not the first time there's been a mess left around the dumpster. Between the mess left behind from the driver emptying the dumpster every morning, the hundreds of cigarette butts scattered around, and anything that doesn't quite make it into the dumpster when the restaurant's employees dump their trash (and the occasional mess from people walking through the area), it gets to be quite nasty at times. Of course nobody seems to want to take responsibility for cleaning it.
Well I made an assumption that this was most likely left by an employee of the restaurant, so I went back to see if the manager/owner was available to speak with (I saw that one of their cars was there). I went in and was told by the young waitress there that she thought "they both just took off together", so I explained the situation. Immediately she started in with an attitude "how do you know it's from us?", she asked with a nasty tone. From there it went downhill.. I tried to remain polite and stated that I'd been in the service (including food) industry for many of my 50 years and it looked in my professional opinion that it most likely came from their place.
"Your professional opinion,huh?" she said snarkilly (sp?), at which point I went to leave, and told her that I could really do without her 'attitude'.
Ten minutes later when I returned from the store the owner was outside smoking a cigarette and had already been briefed by the waitress I spoke to earlier.
We spoke for a while, and I was trying to ease her defensive attitude while getting my point across. It ended by me saying hopefully that "I'd much rather make friends that enemies" and that we all need to work together.
When I got back to my apartment my blood pressure was way up there and figured that the best way to settle down was to write about the situation. I'm not sure of the best way to approach her and her husband with the following thoughts, but I do hope they will be taken in the spirit I intended.
The whole situation needs to be straightened out as to who is responsible for keeping the area clean, is it the city, the management company for the building, the dumpster company, who?
As it stands now nobody is, except for mother nature, who did a wonderful job the other night when a heavy rain swept way all the butts and lobster claws, etc..
Here are my thoughts as far as the bar (and employees in general) goes:
--------------------------------------------------------------
Reminder to managers and owners of a business:
Employees (with the management setting a good example) when confronted with a pushy or rude customer, or with undesirable people inside or outside of their place of business should always be polite. Even in the face of idiots and extremely rude and obnoxious people, they have to maintain a polite (and firm when necessary) and professional disposition.
If you've ever seen the movie "Road House", Patrick Swayze (the 'cooler') stresses that fact forcefully. "Be nice..!".
It's also been one of the basic rules of [good] management since the beginning.
I know that in most places it's an inside joke "sure the customer's 'always' right" or something like that. We know that the saying means that even though someone's wrong, in the long run it's always best for the business to be nice even when they aren't.
When your employees [aren't] 'nice' it's bad for your reputation and ultimately bad for your bottom line.
If there's an ongoing situation, like having an apartment building directly above your establishment* and some of the residents** are creating problems, the solution is not for your employees to be rude and confrontational to them, but deal with the apartment management.
Hopefully they will act professionally in kind and address of the issue(s).
But the bottom line is, for the best outcome everyone should work together (professionally) to resolve the problem.
Once 'attitudes' enter the mix things usually go downhill fast and little to nothing gets accomplished.
Most of this is old-fashioned common sense, learned the hard way, from experience.
People aren't perfect, and very little is black or white in this world, but being polite always pays in the long run (and personally it has always made me feel better afterwards, as opposed to a nasty confrontation).
Thank you.
*As in the case of the "Green Martini".
**Many of whom have psychiatric issues.
A bit groggy, I got on with my business and soon was out the door on my way to the grocery store about a block away to exchange some pork that had gone 'green' before it's expiration date.
On the way there I took my usual shortcut through an alley behind a bar-restaurant that's on the ground floor of my building. I had some junk mail to get rid of and our dumpster is back there in it's new spot since the brand-new parking garage was built by the city.
Right next to the dumpster is a new set of concrete stairs (in fact the whole back area is brand new concrete), and smack dab in the middle of the stairs was the remnants of a french roll and it's contents, which included some kind of yellowish goopy sauce spread all over the top step.
Now it's not the first time there's been a mess left around the dumpster. Between the mess left behind from the driver emptying the dumpster every morning, the hundreds of cigarette butts scattered around, and anything that doesn't quite make it into the dumpster when the restaurant's employees dump their trash (and the occasional mess from people walking through the area), it gets to be quite nasty at times. Of course nobody seems to want to take responsibility for cleaning it.
Well I made an assumption that this was most likely left by an employee of the restaurant, so I went back to see if the manager/owner was available to speak with (I saw that one of their cars was there). I went in and was told by the young waitress there that she thought "they both just took off together", so I explained the situation. Immediately she started in with an attitude "how do you know it's from us?", she asked with a nasty tone. From there it went downhill.. I tried to remain polite and stated that I'd been in the service (including food) industry for many of my 50 years and it looked in my professional opinion that it most likely came from their place.
"Your professional opinion,huh?" she said snarkilly (sp?), at which point I went to leave, and told her that I could really do without her 'attitude'.
Ten minutes later when I returned from the store the owner was outside smoking a cigarette and had already been briefed by the waitress I spoke to earlier.
We spoke for a while, and I was trying to ease her defensive attitude while getting my point across. It ended by me saying hopefully that "I'd much rather make friends that enemies" and that we all need to work together.
When I got back to my apartment my blood pressure was way up there and figured that the best way to settle down was to write about the situation. I'm not sure of the best way to approach her and her husband with the following thoughts, but I do hope they will be taken in the spirit I intended.
The whole situation needs to be straightened out as to who is responsible for keeping the area clean, is it the city, the management company for the building, the dumpster company, who?
As it stands now nobody is, except for mother nature, who did a wonderful job the other night when a heavy rain swept way all the butts and lobster claws, etc..
Here are my thoughts as far as the bar (and employees in general) goes:
--------------------------------------------------------------
Reminder to managers and owners of a business:
Employees (with the management setting a good example) when confronted with a pushy or rude customer, or with undesirable people inside or outside of their place of business should always be polite. Even in the face of idiots and extremely rude and obnoxious people, they have to maintain a polite (and firm when necessary) and professional disposition.
If you've ever seen the movie "Road House", Patrick Swayze (the 'cooler') stresses that fact forcefully. "Be nice..!".
It's also been one of the basic rules of [good] management since the beginning.
I know that in most places it's an inside joke "sure the customer's 'always' right" or something like that. We know that the saying means that even though someone's wrong, in the long run it's always best for the business to be nice even when they aren't.
When your employees [aren't] 'nice' it's bad for your reputation and ultimately bad for your bottom line.
If there's an ongoing situation, like having an apartment building directly above your establishment* and some of the residents** are creating problems, the solution is not for your employees to be rude and confrontational to them, but deal with the apartment management.
Hopefully they will act professionally in kind and address of the issue(s).
But the bottom line is, for the best outcome everyone should work together (professionally) to resolve the problem.
Once 'attitudes' enter the mix things usually go downhill fast and little to nothing gets accomplished.
Most of this is old-fashioned common sense, learned the hard way, from experience.
People aren't perfect, and very little is black or white in this world, but being polite always pays in the long run (and personally it has always made me feel better afterwards, as opposed to a nasty confrontation).
Thank you.
*As in the case of the "Green Martini".
**Many of whom have psychiatric issues.
Friday, October 05, 2007
Afghanistan: Turning Success into Failure
Afghanistan: Turning Success into Failure:
(FYI: You can find this quote in the "Think Fast" section towards the bottom of the page.)
"Rep. Eric Cantor (R-VA) has launched an online petition asking conservatives to 'band together' and 'stand with Rush Limbaugh against liberal attacks.'"
Which leads me to say to them, if you're going to 'stand' with Rush, better wear your waders and bring a clothespin for your nose, although they all seem to rather enjoy the smell of Rushcrap.
Q: I try not to look at the Rush too closely, are his eyes brown by any chance?
(FYI: You can find this quote in the "Think Fast" section towards the bottom of the page.)
"Rep. Eric Cantor (R-VA) has launched an online petition asking conservatives to 'band together' and 'stand with Rush Limbaugh against liberal attacks.'"
Which leads me to say to them, if you're going to 'stand' with Rush, better wear your waders and bring a clothespin for your nose, although they all seem to rather enjoy the smell of Rushcrap.
Q: I try not to look at the Rush too closely, are his eyes brown by any chance?
The Democratic Party | Children's Health: Overturn the Veto
The Democratic Party | Children's Health: Overturn the Veto: "If we can get 2/3 of Congress to stand up to President Bush, we can overturn his veto on the State Children’s Health Insurance Program—a program that provides health insurance for millions of kids. We need your help to get those votes. Use the tool to the right to contact your members of Congress and tell them to reject Bush and fight for children."
Here's a copy of the letter I sent:
Dear Sirs,
In your hearts you all know the right thing to do. As my subject line says "Please don't let politics get in the way", and I sincerely hope that every one of you will put the divisive politics of the past aside and help over-ride this unconscionable veto by President Bush.
The folks that this will help already have enough to worry about. They shouldn't have to avoid taking their children to the doctor because they can't afford it, and the children shouldn't be caught in the middle.
What does it say when we're spending hundreds of billions of dollars on a 'military action', billions of which can't even be accounted for, and neglect the needs of our children and poor.
Thank you. I know you'll do what's right.
Sincerely,
TR Daggett
------------------------------------------------
Please help to get the Presidents veto overturned. Go to this web site and send your own letter to your state's representatives, and remember to be concise and polite.
Here's a copy of the letter I sent:
Dear Sirs,
In your hearts you all know the right thing to do. As my subject line says "Please don't let politics get in the way", and I sincerely hope that every one of you will put the divisive politics of the past aside and help over-ride this unconscionable veto by President Bush.
The folks that this will help already have enough to worry about. They shouldn't have to avoid taking their children to the doctor because they can't afford it, and the children shouldn't be caught in the middle.
What does it say when we're spending hundreds of billions of dollars on a 'military action', billions of which can't even be accounted for, and neglect the needs of our children and poor.
Thank you. I know you'll do what's right.
Sincerely,
TR Daggett
------------------------------------------------
Please help to get the Presidents veto overturned. Go to this web site and send your own letter to your state's representatives, and remember to be concise and polite.
Wednesday, October 03, 2007
Media Matters - Contact Your Local Limbaugh Station
Media Matters - Contact Your Local Limbaugh Station
People with a sense of decency and truth need to stand up to the lies and disgusting contempt for any viewpoint other than his own that Rush Limbaugh displays daily on his radio show.
Contact your local stations that continue to carry Limbaugh's verbal diarrhea and let them know that enough is enough.
Like Bush and other chickenhawks, Limbaugh didn't have the guts to serve his country and has again falsely attacked the patriotism of decorated war heroes and those serving presently in Iraq who don't share his blind obedience to a failed policy.
There IS a line of acceptable behavior and Limbaugh repeatedly crosses it, and the radio stations who continue to provide a platform for his disgusting and dishonest rhetoric need to know that they and the advertisers are 'enabling' it and will pay a price if they to allow it to continue.
People with a sense of decency and truth need to stand up to the lies and disgusting contempt for any viewpoint other than his own that Rush Limbaugh displays daily on his radio show.
Contact your local stations that continue to carry Limbaugh's verbal diarrhea and let them know that enough is enough.
Like Bush and other chickenhawks, Limbaugh didn't have the guts to serve his country and has again falsely attacked the patriotism of decorated war heroes and those serving presently in Iraq who don't share his blind obedience to a failed policy.
There IS a line of acceptable behavior and Limbaugh repeatedly crosses it, and the radio stations who continue to provide a platform for his disgusting and dishonest rhetoric need to know that they and the advertisers are 'enabling' it and will pay a price if they to allow it to continue.
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