Just a few daily truths...

The Passing Of Senator Kennedy
by Michael Graham August 26, 2009 @ 06:00
The Natural Truths for today:
Every death is a tragedy.
Ted Kennedy could have spent his life cruising the cocktail party circuit, living only as a "Kennedy." He chose instead to spend his life in politics. Whatever his motives, that choice merits respect.
Much of his hardest work was done on behalf of people with relatively little political power--the poor, the poorly educated, immigrants, etc. Sen. Kennedy honestly believed he was helping these people, people whose votes he didn't need as a Kennedy in Massachusetts.
His high-risk, unsuccessful run for the presidency in 1980 was inspired in part by his heartfelt conviction that his liberal ideology was worth defending. He took on the incumbent president of his own party to make that point. He also knew what a loser Jimmy Carter was. Give him credit for that.
Ted Kennedy's family loved him. Many people will sincerely mourn Sen. Kennedy's passing.
All these things are true about Sen. Kennedy.

And so are these:
Sen. Kennedy was wrong about virtually every major public policy issue of his career.
He advocated appeasement of the Soviet Union and other totalitarian regimes. He opposed the Reagan/Thatcher/John Paul II confrontation of the Evil Empire, going so far as to secretly reach out to the Soviet regime in 1983 with the motive of helping the Soviets defeat US policy. If Kennedy's political veiws had prevailed, millions of people would have remained trapped behind the Iron Curtain.
He supported the irrational, big-government socialism of the '60s that has given us a bankrupt Medicare/Social Security system. The wildly successful welfare reform signed by President Clinton was passed to undo the social and economic damage of 30 years of Ted Kennedy welfare policies.
Today's illegal immigration mess can be traced directly back to Kennedy's immigration "reform" of the 1960s. Hundreds of thousands of educated, high-value immigrants from Europe, Africa and Asia were effectively blocked from coming to the US, while low-skill, low-wage illegal immigrants have flooded across our border. Once here, these illegals were sustained by tax-funded social services advocated by...Ted Kennedy.
And finally, Ted Kennedy killed a woman, hid out while she suffocated to death in his car, lied to police, then used his family's political power to evade all responsibility. If his name had been Ted Carpenter, he would be a convicted criminal today.

These are also the Natural Truths of this day:
Hating Sen. Kennedy, or denying his important place in modern US politics, is stupid partisanship.
Denying that he is one of the most flawed public servants in the history of our Republic is, too.

Senator Edward Kennedy passes this morning...

Its interesting to note that not a word is mentioned about the tragedy of a young woman whom good ol' Teddy left in the cold waters of the Chappaquidkick river to drown. It mentions the tragedies of his own family and nothing of this young woman. What about her tragedy that he caused? Shouldn't that be mentioned too? Its amazing to me what an illustrious carreer Ted was still able to have even after manslaughter. How quickly people forget about others whom people feel are worthless.

Research...

I'm doing research for travel to Scotland/France. I asked for info from an acquaintence who travels booquoo lots from the ski club. I was disappointed that he suggested I not go to Scotland as there is nothing there to see. I disagree. I am finding lots of reasons to visit and none not. He did suggest to add two more days as 10 days is better than 8. And go to Normandy instead. Adding the two days will leave me with some extra time to travel and extra time to rest.

Ice Block racing...

The newest craze is buy a $2.00 block of ice, find a hill, put a towel on the block of ice and race down to the bottom without falling off. The End. You can also "death race," which is trying to cause the other person to fall off without falling off yourself. Or in the alternative not running into the barrier at the bottom of the hill. Pretty fun right. Its better than drinking and driving or smashing windows. I just hope the ER is prepared.

Keeping busy...

Last weekend went to music on Friday night (Aug 7), Saturday golf in Woodland Park (Aug 8) - what a great course. Very difficult. So beautiful. Wine festival after 18 holes of golf in WP. Then home. Sun (Aug 9) golf at GlenEagle, then a BBQ at Bs home with LL cohosting. The BBQ was good fun. I stank at golf all weekend long. Had a 109 at WP and a 58 at GlenEagle.

Girls night out on Tues (Aug 11). Gosh I certainly appreciate getting together with the girls to vent and talk about stuff. Its nice to have another viewpoint on things.

Just staying busy.

Where are you now?...

Two months tomorrow...

It will have been two months tomorrow since my totally awsome brother has passed away. How could somone so vital just disappear like that? Or did He????

As I was driving around town the other day the realization hit me that he or his shop has done work in virtually every building that I passed by. All the TCF banks, the grocery store I shop in, the place I work, most restaurants in town and in Denver, places in Pueblo, places in other states. The Air Force Academy, CC. Just everywhere. He touched each piece or oversaw the making of it.

Aunt E. called and left a message that she received the CD. It moved her.

On another note, my brother's oldest son is back in prison on a parole violation. He received 180 days. He hoped for 120, I laughed at him and told him good luck with that. Turns out I was unfortunately right. Surprisingly he also wants me to write to him. I don't have anything nice to say.

I miss my brother.