Sunday Morning Coming Down

 I took up jogging in my early 30's, met a lot of nice folks.  Honestly, I became a little compulsive about miles per week and my times in the races I entered.  My Saturdays were booked and paid for and at one time I had a lot of t-shirts as momentos of races I ran in. This morning I read an article about how popular running in cross country as a high school sport.  It doesn't take a lot of gear and it is a gut check of sorts.  You are running against yourself almost as much as in a race. I'd question some of the assertions of the writer about cross country runners and their academic achievements, but most are kind of serious and quirky. "Cross country is simple, but it isn’t easy. All those miles add up. It’s also brutally honest.  It could have added another popular slogan: “No half times, no time outs, no substitutions. It must be the only true sport.” Mock these supposed clichés all you want. Cross-country athletes know they’re true as surely as they kn...

I really doubt that the go remedy for boys these days is more football. According to Ben Sasse whose last job was as President of the University of Florida and prior to that a United State Senator from Nebraska and now a columnist for the Wall Street Journal, I object. According to Sasse: "Football is a character-forming institution that channels strength. In a world of instant gratification, it teaches perseverance through early practices and aching muscles. In an era of isolation, football creates community. It forms brotherhood through both misery and joy. In a culture of passivity, football privileges action. In times of peace, football prepares us for war. Unfortunately, work has also faded as a formative experience. When I was growing up in Nebraska, detasseling corn was a rite of passage. We woke at 4:30 a.m. to slog through fields from cold morning dew through to blazing midday heat. Today, that Cornhusker tradition has been rendered all but extinct by new technologies. Fa...

 I served on a Federal Grand Jury in Miami, Florida in the early 1980's.  I came from a pool of voters, had no reason to be disqualified, and completed the required forms, and my boss actually thought it would be a good experience(no problem with time off). We heard a lot of drug related cases that were of significant size.  The cases were almost entirely video taped at hotels, motels,gas stations near the Miami International Airport or the suspect's house.  There were a lot of cases back then and they were usually related to cocaine. The joke of a grand jury indicting a ham sandwich didn't apply but the cases we heard and saw were really open and shut.  These folks were not law abiding citizens coerced into doing something.  The votes were almost always unanimous.   You might wonder how the Grand Jury process has been tainted and how the idea of due process has been modified these days.

You bought the ticket, you take the ride. I follow a guy on Facebook that has worked diligently, been kind of frugal and been creative.  My gut reaction that the wealth he now has relates to his long term career at the University of Miami and being able to buy a house.  Being in the music industry and a college professor that passed adjunct some time ago, I'm really not sure which was the side gig. (I'll get to this later>) I started college at Illinois State University, bitten by the political bug, my major was political science, thinking I'd probably be a history teacher somewhere.  I spent two years at Illinois State. I really liked studying economics and Read Robert Dahl's "A preface on Democratic Theory.   At the time I thought majoritarian populism was the ticket to political stability. As a freshman I don't think the prof that was teaching the class appreciated me stopping by his office to deliver my opinion on Dahl's book which was written in 195...

Living far away from my hometown of Bensenville, Illinois, the high school reunions I attended were Labor Day long weekend events full of visiting with classmates, tours of FHS and visiting with family that still lived in the area.  I think I got honorable mention for coming all the way from Miami, Florida to the event There is a ritual aspect for reunions and family gatherings of all shapes and sizes.  Birthdays, Weddings, Funerals, and holidays like Christmas and Thanksgiving have aspects of a family ritual. Getting a driver's license, moving out of the house, graduating from high school or college are certainly milestones.  John Cusack holds a Boom Box over his head to woo Ione Skye.  The song "In Your Eyes" by Peter Gabriel reached #1 in the United States in 1986 was an iconic part of the movie "Say Anything" which was released in April 1989 just prior to my high school's 20th Reunion.  Yes, I would say it was a driver for my second high school reunion a...

And says Oliver Hardy says to Stan Laurel: This is a fine kettle of fish you've got us in.  Except, this isn't a comedy from the 1930's. Russia can sell its oil to relieve the pressure on the oil market that has spiked.  Sanctions against Russia to pressure them to negotiate with Ukraine have been modified.  Russia can make more money now that the price of oil has spiked and prolonging the war in Europe.  Russia is also attempting to help Iran.  I'm not sure who the wing man is as Israel and the United States bomb and threaten more strategic bombing on Iran and Lebanon to open up the Straight of Hormuz and further weaken Hezbollah. And as the price of oil remains high ,  but according to reports Venezuela is back on line and helping out and at least in the short term gasoline is selling at $4.25 a gallon in Florida. This morning I read a column in the Dispatch, which is my attempt at getting a more conservative/middle of the road translation of things....