As the story goes...

There was darkness before there was light. Of that I am sure. I can't rightly recall the day I was born. It was Saturday, the sixth of July, a little after 12 noon they tell me. The moon was waxing and the temperature undoubtedly warm. I was told that my mom and dad had decided to take a drive somewhere in the foothills east of town. The road was laden with curves, and the die was cast. I wasn't supposed to arrive until sometime in August, but when dad glanced over at mom he realized that sometimes one just never does know. A quick u-turn, a hasty drive to the hospital and, voila, the journey began. One of the first of the baby boomers, and the second son of the second son was on the scene.
It is normal, I am sure, for one to look back over his/her life and wonder if their presence here had positive or negative effects on others. Certainly we all had an effect. Brothers or sisters, if we had them, may have been only children if not for us. Our mere presence changed our parents lives, those lives of our husbands/wives, our children, friends, neighbors, school chums, first love, enemies, and even those we never met.

Even those we never met? Think about it. We were probably some one's first love, so someone else we didn't know, wasn't. Simply by existing we changed that person's life. And that person who loved us first thinks about us from time to time, probably.

Which one of you didn't have to go into military service because I did? Who missed out on college in Denver because I went there? The mere fact that we exist has changed lives. Question is, was it positive or negative? I remember telling my former spouse that she should have married someone else. Someone who was above her station, whom she could look up to and admire. I wonder who that someone may have been? Boy, did I change his life. I wonder if it was in a good way or a bad way? And that person I didn't marry...I wonder how she's doing? Her life was changed too. Did I ever meet her?

I have a vague recollection of living on Pine street in Fresno right next to St. Theresa's Catholic Church. I was three or four, no older. I remember falling out of bed. My brother and I shared a bunk bed. Not sure if I was on top or bottom. I remember we (my brother, myself, other kids in our hood) put water or something into someone's gas tank. We were in big trouble! And I remember being chased and caught by the Nuns at St. Theresa's. They didn't like us running around and making noise while they were teaching. Three traumatic events - that's what I recall off hand.
And then we moved to Fairmont; and then to Japan; and back to Fairmont. That would be 777 E. Fairmont in Fresno. Moved there, I think, in 1950. Stayed until I went to college. I had a great childhood there. A typical mom, apple pie and the flag, 1950's childhood. Can't imagine that it could have been any better. Idyllic, one might say. Of course others had either more or less than I. And their descriptions of their lives will be the same as mine. When we are young it is the love and attention we get that matters. Not much more.

There were great times on Fairmont. Lots of kids around my age. It was a new neighborhood with large lots and small houses. Some lots were vacant, and we'd build "forts" in those. Not sure who we were hiding from or protecting ourselves against. But we were pretty good at it. I was a Cub Scout - my mom was a Den Mother. I was a Boy Scout - my dad was a Troop Leader. I played little league baseball. Not well - I was the last man chosen. My brother Jim and I went hunting with my dad - for dove mostly. I remember coming home from hunting one evening and mom had prepared artichokes for dinner. Not sure why I remember that. We did shoot our share of dove. I missed more than I hit, but I shot a few. And we did a lot of camping. Boy Scouts was a big thing in our lives. Full immersion, I'd call it. How to begin to turn a boy into a man. We did all that stuff - and it was a good life. As I think of them, I'll recount specific stories. Stories about hot dogs, Japan, and the John Muir Trail, to name a few. It'll be fun.

Marriage Vows

It occurs to me that two people preparing to enter into a committed relationship (marriage) need to have an open and frank discussion about what they are willing to sacrifice for the benefit of said marriage. A couple must mutually agree, with no reservations, what the most important thing in their lives will be. And, if that "thing" is not the marriage, then they'd probably not enter into it.

There is no other time in their lives that the couple will stand before God, their friends and family and vow to love and honor "until death you do part." So, this must be the most important commitment they'll ever make. If not, why stand before God and make such declarations? And if it is, they must agree that every other aspect of their lives can and will be sacrificed if it's necessary for the survival of the marriage.

No one and nothing is more important than the marriage. Not the husband, not the wife. Children of course, the products of a committed relationship, are part of the marriage/family, and revered as such. But if parents/in-laws are a problem they need to be left behind. If adult children are a problem, the same. Occupations are expendable, houses and neighborhoods disposable, lifestyles deemed unnecessary, friends forgotten, egos rendered flaccid. Everything can be sacrificed for the benefit of the marriage. Minor children from a previous marriage will be the greatest obstacle. I don't see many parents agreeing to sacrifice them for the benefit of a new marriage. Not sure how to handle that. Maybe just wait until they grow up.

Of course there are always three outs: adultery, substance abuse, and physical/emotional abuse. Other than that, the marriage must always come first, no matter what sacrifices need be made. Even adultery can be forgiven in some cases, and I'd hope a loving spouse would try to help their partner through a drug problem before throwing in the towel. Physical abuse probably won't be overcome, psychologists not withstanding.

I think gays and lesbians recognize these problems going in. And probably mixed race and mixed religion couples. But "normal" couples usually enter into their relationships blind, giving no thought as to how they'll react when inevitable problems come to light.

I believe that the ultimate benefit of sacrificing all in an effort to sustain the marriage "until death do us part" is God's greatest reward.

Disaster vs. Opportunity

It has been proposed by local politicians in Fresno County that sprinklers systems in homes be required in the unincorporated areas of the county. - Bill McEwen of the Fresno Bee called it "...a law to save lives." Of course, the people don't want these sprinkler systems. But that rarely matters anymore.

"A law to save lives?" How did you get there? I wonder how many lives have been lost in the "...remote and unincorporated areas of the foothills" due to wildfires in the past 20 or 40 years. Not many I'll bet, if any.

The real question is how much more are we going to allow "big brother" to interfere with our right to make our own decisions? Every year they chip away and chip away and chip away. We are very well protected right now! Please, make them leave us alone! It gets to the point that one (me) doesn't give a dam if it's a good law or not. It's just another law - someone wielding power over the people because they can. I really don't believe that Henry Perea cares about sprinklers in homes. But, this will look good on his resume and he does need to get re-elected.

I heard the other day that everyone who has ever eaten meat has either died or will die eventually. Pretty scary. My dad smoked for over 50 years. Quit at the age of 68 and died at age 86 from a malady not related to smoking. My brother smoked for 45 or more years and died from lung cancer. Probably due to smoking, but who knows? Superman's wife had lung cancer and never smoked. Someone could have passed a law 45 years ago re: smoking and maybe my brother would still be alive. Maybe not. He was a meat eater after all.

I understand that the Chinese symbol for "disaster" is the same as their symbol for "opportunity." (I wonder if that's true?)

I came up with a theory years ago that automobile accidents are a boon to local economies. Think about it. They benefit tow truck operators, ambulance companies, hospitals, doctors, nurses, attorneys, body shops, automobile dealerships, undertakers, cemeteries, churches, physical therapists, medical supply stores, pharmaceutical companies, etc., etc., etc.. Imagine the multiplier effect of the violent rain storm we had recently. I saw ambulances and fire trucks every where. Many people are cashing in today.

So, apply the same theory to a good healthy wildfire. What goes into building a new home from scratch? Plus in this case people are paid to cleanup as well as design, build, landscape, and furnish a nice new home. Put in a sprinkler system and and you raise the price of the house, fewer people can afford it so fewer are built and the economy slows down. Omit the sprinklers and houses are sold, they burn down, are rebuilt, and the economy flourishes. Do you have any idea how happy the construction industry in San Diego is after all of the devastating fires they've had down there recently? Talk about a jump start to the economy. Fortunes will be made.

A New Political Party - The Unserved

So, who would be in our party? Criminals, gang members and the untoward are out. Society spends a fortune keeping them at bay. The ne'er do wells won't qualify. The poor, the homeless, gays, and people of color all receive myriad attention. Environmentalists get way more than their fair share of political largess, as well as every other industry that has to depend on lobbyists and political contributions to survive. Educational institutions receive huge infusions of cash albeit with many strings attached, so they and their employees are well served to a degree. Unions are favorites of politicians, but I think the members are getting screwed, so I'm not sure where they fall. The elderly get way more than they deserve, all in the name of humanity. The kids are about to pick up a nice hunk of our cash, simply because, in most cases, the parents who could foot the bill have decided not to (health care). So, who's left?

Of course the answer is the hardworking taxpayer who has no voice. The politicians are supposed to be their voice, but they are not. They've all sold out. And why wouldn't they? The system allows it, and they've created such a sweet deal for themselves they'd be foolish not to play the game. So, the "unserved" are those whose tax money is being extorted by elected officials who refuse to represent them. Didn't we fight a war once for that exact reason? You should read 1776 by David McCullough. It's amazing how close we came to being British.

I don't think "social liberals but fiscal conservatives" is a concept that will work. What these people would do is save the fish while giving lots of water to the farmers; save the environment while enjoying Huntington Lake; provide for those who choose not to provide for themselves while cutting taxes that fund social welfare programs. I think "a hand up as opposed to a hand out" is the answer. As long as politicians can promise their constituents something for nothing our system will never change.

Fish vs. Water

This diatribe was prompted by the salmon vs. water for crops issue now being debated in our State. I see the issue as adults being elected to make hard adult decisions that conflict with the whining appeals they hear from idealistic crybabies.

It is just so unfortunate that the people who have asked for the responsibility to make the tough decisions refuse to do it. Instead they kowtow to the idealists who have wonderful, lofty dreams. Dreams that are unrealistic and detrimental to the long term welfare of the people, the local communities and the state. It's as simple as a relationship between a parent and a child. Remember in the 60's when parents and teachers were in charge? Now, the children and the ACLU run the show. In which system would you rather grown up? I remember when my dad would just break my heart when I screwed up. Tough lessons learned, but LEARNED! Today they'd call it emotional abuse. Back then they called it good parenting.

I'm sure you know that in California parents have no rights. When my daughter, now 25, was 17 she was way out of control. Ditched school every day - was about to get kicked out. Running with the wrong people, drug use, sexually active, etc.. She tells us now that she was days away from leaving home - running away - to New Orleans of all places. My wife and I intervened, literally had her abducted and spirited away to a private school in Utah. Why Utah? Because it is against the law to hold a minor against her will in California. The kids get to decide. My daughter today will tell you we saved her life. And she's now a productive, responsible member of society.

Well, we've put the "kids" in charge of the water issues in California. In fact all of the important issues that have to do with the welfare of the State seem to be in the hands of the children. When a responsible adult tries to make a tough decision that may break some hearts but is necessary for the long term health of the State, we first have to ask the idealistic kids how they feel. If they whine loud enough, we give them their way.

Some one's going to have to take charge, make the tough decisions and save this State from the crybabies. We need water. That's a no brain-er. We live in a desert. We don't need fish. They can and are being farmed raised. Let's take care of business first and save the "feel good" stuff for later.

Polar Bears and Global Warming

Isn't it interesting how liberals and conservatives take opposite sides on almost all issues? Global warming, abortion, school vouchers, taxes, Iraq. And now the question of polar bears and their future. It seems like intelligent people would agree on some of the issues, but that rarely is the case.

I've got to go with Mother Nature on this one. She's doing alright with the buffalo, California Condors (we use to call them vultures), and spotted owls. I have a strong feeling that polar bears will survive regardless of man's efforts. Of course nature did forsake the dinosaurs many years ago. Think man could have prevented that?

An editorial in The Wall Street Journal on January 3, 2007 states that the world wide population of polar bears was estimated to be between 5,000 and 10,000 in the 1950s and 60s. Now, due to conservation efforts, it is estimated that there are 20,000 to 25,000 polar bears world wide. A 2002 U.S. Geological Survey indicates that since 1992 the Canadian polar bear population has increased by 25% from 12,000 to 15,000. But now, all of the sudden due to global warming, the polar bears are a threatened species.

There are those who would like to limit the number of dairy cows in the San Joaquin Valley because they believe that the amount of gas passed by said cows contributes to global warming. Looking at the chart that accompanied the article in the WSJ, it's interesting to note that the increase in polar bear population seems to correlate directly with the increase in global warming. Who really knows how much one of those bears farts on a daily basis? Open season on polar bears may be our only answer to save the earth!

How To Fix Our Legislature

In response to Jim Boren's column - The Fresno Bee - March 16, 2008

Jim - Redistricting is certainly key. That must be done in order to begin the process. And then the 55% super-majority and term limit adjustments would be feasible. But I think the real key to legislative reform is to drastically reduce the incentives that attract politicians to the legislature in the first place. I think they run for office for all of the wrong reasons; namely, power and money. When they show up in Sacramento they are way more interested in serving themselves than serving the State or their constituents.

First, remove all financial incentives. When they arrive in Sacto, they must put 100% of their assets into a blind trust. Then they live on their salary while in office and when they leave they give up every nickle they've gained, save the contents of the trust. They should not be allowed to arrive poor and leave rich. And, if they are caught cheating, they serve a mandatory prison term. No exceptions.

I also think that every penny raised by contributions should go into one fund to be divided equally by the contestants in the next election. Take lobbyists out of the equation. New candidates will have as much money to spend on their campaign as incumbents.

In order to remove their power, at least 51% of the taxes generated by the state should be returned to the communities from which it was raised. Maybe even more. Those bastards hold us hostage with our own money. They take from the valley and give to the north and the south. Additionally, they will not allowed to put strings on the money they return to us. What the hell makes them so "all knowing"? Certainly local communities know better where the tax money should go than the greedy power mongers in Sacramento do.

Finally, every voter in CA gets one vote. And, one additional vote is given out for every $1,000 in taxes paid by a voter. Let the politicians kowtow to the people who are paying the bills. It's time the high and mighty become the sycophants.