The United States is good at a lot of things. We're a generous people, we give to other nations and citizens in need during natural disasters. We support women's rights in parts of the world that are hundreds of years behind the times in that area. We at least try to keep the air and water clean for future generations. We have a really good interstate highway system and an even better parks and national forest system. In all those areas we shine. Not so much in our prison system.
In the United States we have 2.3 millions people behind bars. That's more than the population of 15 of our states. We incarcerate more people than any other country in the world. We have five times the number of people behind bars than England, nine times more than Germany and 12 times more than Japan.
Thank goodness Congress is finally trying to do something about these disturbing numbers. They now realize that if we invest more in education and other obvious prevention programs, we'd be well ahead of the game.
It costs $50,000 a year to incarcerate someone in a California prison. It costs less thank $8000 a year to edcuate that same person for a year in the publoic school system.
Senator James Webb D-Virginia is proposing a National Criminal Justice System to take a close up look at the prison system in America. His bill passed the House without opposition but there is a procedural objection by Republican Senator Tom Coburn R-Oklahoma that could stall it in the Senate.
We need this commission and cannot worry about short term costs when we are already spending billions to keep people in jail who should not be there.
Monday, August 16, 2010
Friday, July 30, 2010
Guns in the Parade
At the recent Renton River Days parade several candidates for local and national office showed up to wave to the crowd and pass out buttons and bumber stickers. United States Senate candidate Clint Didier took the parade to a new level with his "statement" about Americans right to bear arms. His representitves showed up wearing side arms. They had guns strapped to their hips at a nice family oriented summer parade.
With all of the issues effecting "real" people around the country the right to bear arms is at the bottom of that list.
Just a few weeks ago at Samammish State park two separate groups showed up for to "party" and between them there were 20 hand guns. Two people died. Gee hand guns and death, you wouldn't expect those two things to go together would you?
Get over this right to bear arms crap and concentrate on the real issues facing us in the USA like getting people back to work, helping new small businesses by actually getting banks to loan money again, and getting out of Afghanistan once and for all.
I'd like to go on with this but my grand kids want to go to the park so I have to find a hand gun so they'll be safe.
With all of the issues effecting "real" people around the country the right to bear arms is at the bottom of that list.
Just a few weeks ago at Samammish State park two separate groups showed up for to "party" and between them there were 20 hand guns. Two people died. Gee hand guns and death, you wouldn't expect those two things to go together would you?
Get over this right to bear arms crap and concentrate on the real issues facing us in the USA like getting people back to work, helping new small businesses by actually getting banks to loan money again, and getting out of Afghanistan once and for all.
I'd like to go on with this but my grand kids want to go to the park so I have to find a hand gun so they'll be safe.
Monday, July 26, 2010
Slip N Slide
What a day for a Slip N Slide. As a grown up I'd like to proclaim every day over 80 degrees to be Slip N Slide day. Adults don't run through the sprinkler enough on hot days. Adults don't eat enough marshmellows, chew enough "Big League Chew" bubble gum, especially the grape flavor. Adults are too mired in their own little worlds to take the time to run bare foot across the lawn with only half their clothes on. Little kids do it all the time and look how happy they are until some adult tells them to wipe that smile off their face.
As a kid I used to hit rocks into the woods with a baseball bat. I made believe I was every great Yankee hitters. I was Ruth, gehrig, Dimaggio, Mantle and Maris. I hit some monster home runs deep into the trees on Newsome Lane in Wilton, Conn. where I lived in the 1950s. I was in my own little world when I was hitting rocks. I also called play by play of every hit which convinced the neighbors that I had more than one loose screw in my mental mechanism.
Boy I showed them. I'm a grown up now and I still hit rocks, so there. I still make believe I'm Ruth, Gehrig or Dimaggio too becuase I can't bring myself to believe the over paid players of today would spend their time hitting rocks into the woods.
Good thing I don't live in Chicago. Some northside Cubs fan would probably throw the rocks back at me from behind a tree.
As a kid I used to hit rocks into the woods with a baseball bat. I made believe I was every great Yankee hitters. I was Ruth, gehrig, Dimaggio, Mantle and Maris. I hit some monster home runs deep into the trees on Newsome Lane in Wilton, Conn. where I lived in the 1950s. I was in my own little world when I was hitting rocks. I also called play by play of every hit which convinced the neighbors that I had more than one loose screw in my mental mechanism.
Boy I showed them. I'm a grown up now and I still hit rocks, so there. I still make believe I'm Ruth, Gehrig or Dimaggio too becuase I can't bring myself to believe the over paid players of today would spend their time hitting rocks into the woods.
Good thing I don't live in Chicago. Some northside Cubs fan would probably throw the rocks back at me from behind a tree.
Tuesday, July 13, 2010
Yankee Heaven
I know, I know, I know. If you're not a Yankee fan or even worse if you are a Yankee hater this column will have no meaning to you. Sorry but I have to express myself. Within just a few days two Yankee icons passed away. Last weekend the best in stadium announcer in the history of sports Bob Sheppard died at age 99.
On my first visit to Yankee Stadium in the summer of 1956 his booming voice came over the public address system and etched itself in my memory forever. "Now batting number seven, Mickey Mantle, number seven." Bob Sheppard wasn't fancy but he was perfect. He never mis pronounced a single name to my knowledge because he made it ap ractice to ask each player how he would like his name announced.
After Sheppard stepped away from the announcers booth a couple of seasons ago, Yankee shortstop Derek Jeter asked that each of his at bats for the rest of his career be announced by a recording of Bob Sheppard. Thank you Bob for all those memories.
Then just today long time Yankee owner George Steinbrenner passed way at the age of 80. When he purchsed the Yankees in 1974 they were in dismal shape. He vowed to re build the dynasty and he did. He also rebuilt the tradition and mystique of the Yankees by calling back to the fold such greats as play by play man Mel Allen and Hall of Fame catcher Yogi Berra.
Not everyone liked George but no one could ever deny what he did for the Yankees and the city of New York by bringing them back to their championship level of the late 1920s, early 1950s and late 1990s. Steinbrenner was famous for hiring and firing Billy Martin but he was also famous for signing the big name free agents to turn the teams forturesd around. The first big move was getting Reggie Jackson rrom the Oakland A's. Reggie earned the title , "Mr. October" and helped the Yankees win the pennant in 1976,77 and 78 and the World Series title in 77 and 78.
He also had a knack for keeping young players being developed in the Yankees farm system. The best examples of that are future hall of famers Derek Jeter and Mariano Rivera and long time catcher Jorge Posada.
As eight all stars represent the Yankees this week in Anaheim the baseball world mourns the passing of two of the most memorable Yankees ever Bob Sheppard and George Steinbrenner.
On my first visit to Yankee Stadium in the summer of 1956 his booming voice came over the public address system and etched itself in my memory forever. "Now batting number seven, Mickey Mantle, number seven." Bob Sheppard wasn't fancy but he was perfect. He never mis pronounced a single name to my knowledge because he made it ap ractice to ask each player how he would like his name announced.
After Sheppard stepped away from the announcers booth a couple of seasons ago, Yankee shortstop Derek Jeter asked that each of his at bats for the rest of his career be announced by a recording of Bob Sheppard. Thank you Bob for all those memories.
Then just today long time Yankee owner George Steinbrenner passed way at the age of 80. When he purchsed the Yankees in 1974 they were in dismal shape. He vowed to re build the dynasty and he did. He also rebuilt the tradition and mystique of the Yankees by calling back to the fold such greats as play by play man Mel Allen and Hall of Fame catcher Yogi Berra.
Not everyone liked George but no one could ever deny what he did for the Yankees and the city of New York by bringing them back to their championship level of the late 1920s, early 1950s and late 1990s. Steinbrenner was famous for hiring and firing Billy Martin but he was also famous for signing the big name free agents to turn the teams forturesd around. The first big move was getting Reggie Jackson rrom the Oakland A's. Reggie earned the title , "Mr. October" and helped the Yankees win the pennant in 1976,77 and 78 and the World Series title in 77 and 78.
He also had a knack for keeping young players being developed in the Yankees farm system. The best examples of that are future hall of famers Derek Jeter and Mariano Rivera and long time catcher Jorge Posada.
As eight all stars represent the Yankees this week in Anaheim the baseball world mourns the passing of two of the most memorable Yankees ever Bob Sheppard and George Steinbrenner.
Monday, July 12, 2010
7 Keys to Happiness
Hi everyone. You're all invited to a "free" presentation of "7 Keys to Happiness," at the Longview, Wa. PUD building 961 12th Ave in Longview, Wa. July 20th at 7 p.m. I'll present my "7 Keys to Happiness" seminar and everyone who attends will get a "free" copy of my book, "Smile in the Mirror." There is no obligation, we are not selling anything and we don't want your contact information. This is "free" to all who attend and I know you'll enjoy it. See you July 20th in Longview.
Tuesday, June 29, 2010
Independence Day
Millions of people all across the United States will celebrate the 4th of July this weekend. It is a celebration of an event that happened 232 years ago when a committee of five men led by Thomas Jefferson John Adams and Benjamin Franklin crafted the Declaration of Independence.
They knew that their actions would lead to months of sacrifice and blood shed. They also knew that no action would bring the greatest tragedy of all, a lack of freedom and independence.
Planted deep inside every human being is a "spirit of independence" crying to step away from the crowd and establish it's own identity.
I believe Independence Day has a two fold significance. As a nation we should always strive to remain free. We do that by registering to vote, by knowing who represents us in the Congress of the United States and in our local government and by staying involved in decisions that effect our cities and schools.
Too many of us struggle to name even our U.S. Senators let alone our state and local leaders. We are often quick to criticize state and local decisions without having any knowledge of why those decisions were made. It is far easier to repeat the "talk show" babble of your favorite host than it is to actually research a topic and discuss it intelligently.
Every time we utter a statement that simply mirrors someone else's opinion with no research of our own, we thumb our noses at our own declaration on independence.
I also believe this holiday should be a reminder that as individuals we enjoy a level of independence in this country that is un-matched anywhere in the world.
Every day of our lives we make hundreds of decisions. We decide what to eat, what to read, what to watch on television, what to say to our children, our spouses, our parents and our friends.
Hundreds of times a day we decide what to think and whether to agree with what we hear.
During the course of a day we will hear radio and television commercials, news and hearsay. We will see pop up ads on our lap tops and phones. We will hear office chatter and gossip.
Hundreds of times a day we will have to decide what to absorb and what to discard. In a split second we will have to decide what is "noise" trying to seep into our brains and what is useful information.
This is where our true independence is tested. Are we going along with the crowd or making a conscious decision to accept or reject what we've heard ourselves?
If your "human filter" is working properly you'll be free to decide for yourself what is good and bad for you. Those decisions will determine whether or not you have a happy and successful life.
I wish you all a fun filled 4th of July weekend. Find a family celebration in your town or city and enjoy the fireworks.
I am not a fan of the illegal and often over sized explosives I hear in the woods behind my house every July. I wonder if the thoughtless people who buy and use them every year think about the effect they have on pets or more important the effect they may have on the men and women recently home from war zones in Iraq and Afghanistan.
I'll close with an excerpt from the Declaration of Independence.
When in the course of human events, it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them to another, and to assume among the Powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the Laws of Nature and of Nature's God entitle them, a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation.
We hold these truths to be self evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Libery and the pursuit of Happiness.
They knew that their actions would lead to months of sacrifice and blood shed. They also knew that no action would bring the greatest tragedy of all, a lack of freedom and independence.
Planted deep inside every human being is a "spirit of independence" crying to step away from the crowd and establish it's own identity.
I believe Independence Day has a two fold significance. As a nation we should always strive to remain free. We do that by registering to vote, by knowing who represents us in the Congress of the United States and in our local government and by staying involved in decisions that effect our cities and schools.
Too many of us struggle to name even our U.S. Senators let alone our state and local leaders. We are often quick to criticize state and local decisions without having any knowledge of why those decisions were made. It is far easier to repeat the "talk show" babble of your favorite host than it is to actually research a topic and discuss it intelligently.
Every time we utter a statement that simply mirrors someone else's opinion with no research of our own, we thumb our noses at our own declaration on independence.
I also believe this holiday should be a reminder that as individuals we enjoy a level of independence in this country that is un-matched anywhere in the world.
Every day of our lives we make hundreds of decisions. We decide what to eat, what to read, what to watch on television, what to say to our children, our spouses, our parents and our friends.
Hundreds of times a day we decide what to think and whether to agree with what we hear.
During the course of a day we will hear radio and television commercials, news and hearsay. We will see pop up ads on our lap tops and phones. We will hear office chatter and gossip.
Hundreds of times a day we will have to decide what to absorb and what to discard. In a split second we will have to decide what is "noise" trying to seep into our brains and what is useful information.
This is where our true independence is tested. Are we going along with the crowd or making a conscious decision to accept or reject what we've heard ourselves?
If your "human filter" is working properly you'll be free to decide for yourself what is good and bad for you. Those decisions will determine whether or not you have a happy and successful life.
I wish you all a fun filled 4th of July weekend. Find a family celebration in your town or city and enjoy the fireworks.
I am not a fan of the illegal and often over sized explosives I hear in the woods behind my house every July. I wonder if the thoughtless people who buy and use them every year think about the effect they have on pets or more important the effect they may have on the men and women recently home from war zones in Iraq and Afghanistan.
I'll close with an excerpt from the Declaration of Independence.
When in the course of human events, it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them to another, and to assume among the Powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the Laws of Nature and of Nature's God entitle them, a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation.
We hold these truths to be self evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Libery and the pursuit of Happiness.
Monday, June 21, 2010
The Card Store
It was a rainy Saturday in the pacific northwest. I spent most of the early part of the day cleaning the house, vacuuming, folding laundry, mopping floors and bagging up clothing to take to Goodwill. I know I'm a wacky funster with no limits on what I'll do for a good time. Just as I began to get bored I decided to take the two mile walk from my house to DJ's Sports Cards. It was like a return to the summer of 1957 for me walking to the baseball card shop with a couple of bucks in my pocket and big dreams in my head. It was almost like my boyhood friend Dave Appelbaum was right there by my side pounding a tattered baseball into his Spaulding glove. Dave taught to me to bat left handed when I was seven years old. I started as a right hand hitter but he convinced me I'd be more effective if I could bat lefty as well. It paid off handsomely in my teenage years when I became one of the better Wiffle ball players in the state of Connecticut.
So I'm walking to the sports card shop on a rainy Saturday thinking about the old days, Dave and Wiffle ball. Thinking about the hour I spent on our gravel road in my home town hitting small rocks into the woods with an old baseball bat. I'd call play by play like Mel Allen the Hall of Fame yankees broadcaster of the 50s and 60s. When Mickey Mantle came up I'd hit lefty if he was facing a right hand hitter and vice versa. I spent entire summers living an imaginary life as a big league ball player. The only thing missing was the chewing tobacco. I substituted Bazooka Bubble gum. I couldn't spit worth a darn but it tasted a lot better than tobacco.
My mind wandered to the time I hit a grand slam homer off Bob Feller at the old Yankee Stadium. Actually it was a rock I tossed to myself and it was on Newsome Lane. The rock flew deep into the woods, squirrels scattered, birds retreated to the neighbors yard, the crowd roared. It was the longest home run of my career. I think the rock I hit is in the hall of fame.
As I approached DJ Sports Cards on Saturday I realized that I am a grown up now, my child hood was decades ago, I really should face reality. On the other hand I think I'll go down to the river and hit some rocks. Bob Feller is 90 years old now I think I can hit another long one off "Rapid Robert."
So I'm walking to the sports card shop on a rainy Saturday thinking about the old days, Dave and Wiffle ball. Thinking about the hour I spent on our gravel road in my home town hitting small rocks into the woods with an old baseball bat. I'd call play by play like Mel Allen the Hall of Fame yankees broadcaster of the 50s and 60s. When Mickey Mantle came up I'd hit lefty if he was facing a right hand hitter and vice versa. I spent entire summers living an imaginary life as a big league ball player. The only thing missing was the chewing tobacco. I substituted Bazooka Bubble gum. I couldn't spit worth a darn but it tasted a lot better than tobacco.
My mind wandered to the time I hit a grand slam homer off Bob Feller at the old Yankee Stadium. Actually it was a rock I tossed to myself and it was on Newsome Lane. The rock flew deep into the woods, squirrels scattered, birds retreated to the neighbors yard, the crowd roared. It was the longest home run of my career. I think the rock I hit is in the hall of fame.
As I approached DJ Sports Cards on Saturday I realized that I am a grown up now, my child hood was decades ago, I really should face reality. On the other hand I think I'll go down to the river and hit some rocks. Bob Feller is 90 years old now I think I can hit another long one off "Rapid Robert."
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