Friday Quickies (On Sunday Because of Vacation)

....Have seen way too much of Jane Fonda these past few weeks. Say what you want about her, she is an excellent business woman-- she really started the whole home-video workout craze, and she's flogging this book like a modern day Barnum.

I saw her yesterday on The Actor's Studio.

She is a full-fledged, no-holds-barred, top-to-bottom whack job.

Inside of ten minutes she had spouted just about every New Age pseudo-psycho babble nonsense cliche, from all about being a prisoner in her own soul, to ...ah, forget it. It's just not worth it.

She partially apologized for hamming it up on the anti-aircraft gun in North Vietnam, but for little else. At least that's more than John Kerry ever did.

I came away with two thoughts.

First, I once again felt regret that a decent talent, and an attractive one at that, is encased in such a silly liberal package. Then again, most of my favorite artists reside firmly on the fringe left.

And second, I regret not at all having peed on Hanoi Jane in the urinals of dozens of bars. There are some things for which apologies are just never enough.

.....On our trip to New Orleans, Daughter #2 and I took a swamp tour. The guide lured the alligators to our airboat by tossing marshmallows onto the still water, and then dangling pieces of chicken over the side.

Marshmallows and chicken. I'm thinking those aren't part of the alligator's natural food pyramid.

(taken by my daughter from our boat)

....While I was away, the comments section to one of my posts got a bit active. One of the commenters posted anonymously. I struggled when I started this blog about whether I would accept anonymous comments, landing on the side of "yes". But, I would urge people to have the courage of their convictions and, except where the comment would bring about harm to one's family or livelihood, give us a name to go with the opinion.

I also was accused of not being a "red mind" at all-- The commentator felt that since I seem to call for less government & for fiscal responsibility I am not representative of Republicans.

I can't deny that I have tremendous reservations about the direction of the party under W. I am not pleased that the deficits are back, and are so high. Some of the spending is clearly attributable to homeland security, and the ongoing, highly successful, wars in the Middle East. But W allowed too much pork to attach to necessary expenditures. There are any number of other fiscal concerns I have.

But I would submit, as did John Danforth this week, that my beliefs are closer to core republican values than the current Administration's or Congress'.

As for the scope of government, yes, I believe that the best government is the one that governs least. I recognize the need for expanded powers in times of war, but I also chafe every time I face what I call "false security".

But I think that is also a core Republican belief, one which is shared by most of us.

I, too, am very concerned about the rise of the Christian right's influence on my party. I fear it will bind us the way the various liberal special interests have caused the sclerotic condition of the Democratic Party.

Maybe some day there will be a true third party, one not run by a nut's ego (Perot), but rather on the concept that we need a strong government to do the things we cannot do ourselves and which the free enterprise system cannot handle alone. One which recognizes that on the whole we want a government which stays out of our pocket AND our bedroom; one which leaves religion to the churches and raising children to the parents; one which spends only the money it needs to spend to perform it's core functions; one which respects life and the value of each and every individual; and one which balances freedom and security with a mature hand, favoring the former over the latter in the close calls.

Until then, I still see most of my beliefs embodied in the red, not the blue, so here I stand.

....TheRunaway Bride. Why? Why do we have to be subjected to this? Why are the news channels devoting so much time to this?

She ran out on a 600 person wedding after appearing normal at several pre-wedding events.

Helloooo?!? Are they kidding? I've said this before, and I know I'll say this again. There are times I think there is simply too damn much money floating around this country, and not near enough common sense.

She got overwhelmed. She ran. Tell you what-- Let her and her fiance get hitched in the backyard with their friends and family, use the money saved to pay for the costs of the search, and call it a day.

And let's get back to something really important, like the freakshow trial in L.A.

....And finally, a quote from the great Theodore Roosevelt:

I hold that in this country there must be complete severance of Church and State; that public moneys shall not be used for the purpose of advancing any particular creed; and therefore that the public schools shall be nonsectarian and no public moneys appropriated for sectarian schools.

-- Carnegie Hall address, 12 October 1915