Election

“Was Mr. Romney lying? Well, either that or he was making what amounts to a sick joke.” — Paul Krugman

Hat tip to MRudd.

Romney’s Sick Joke – NYTimes.com by Paul Krugman

Was Mr. Romney lying? Well, either that or he was making what amounts to a sick joke. Either way, his attempt to deceive voters on this issue was the biggest of many misleading and/or dishonest claims he made over the course of that hour and a half. Yes, President Obama did a notably bad job of responding. But I’ll leave the theater criticism to others and talk instead about the issue that should be at the heart of this election. …

How many Americans would be left out in the cold under Mr. Romney’s plan? One answer is 89 million [according to the nonpartisan Commonwealth Foundation]. …

Another answer is 45 million, the estimated number of people who would have health insurance if Mr. Obama were re-elected, but would lose it if Mr. Romney were to win. …

Wait, it gets worse. The true number of victims from Mr. Romney’s health proposals would be much larger than either of these numbers, for a couple of reasons. [follow the link…]

Romney’s Sick Joke – NYTimes.com

obituaries, The Atheist's Pulpit

Remembering Madame Votaw

006 - Copy (2)When I first met Madame Votaw over 40 years ago, I was frightened. Descending from the floor above in a rattling cage-like elevator, she emerged smoking like a dragon, surrounded by baying hounds. Add her daughters as sirens on the rocks of adolescent heartache and we have an opera. One she would have enjoyed.

Like some mythic figure, Madame Votaw literally created some of my dearest friends. She shaped even more of us. She will never be gone so long as we are here.

Although she was a commanding and powerful figure of unquestionable authority, I’ll never forget her wonderful laugh or smile. I still hear the music she added to my nickname: Gue. No one else made Gue sound so lovely.

Eszti and Al Votaw were phenomenally gracious and generous in welcoming many of us into their home. In their salon, I first heard Doc Watson, as well as Pete Seeger. At their dinner table, I first ate artichokes. At their back door, I first tasted cigarettes.

I taxed the Votaws’ hospitality more than most by visiting them in Abidjan, in the Ivory Coast. It was the trip of a lifetime and nearly the end of mine, but it was a privilege to experience a little of Africa with such worldly hosts.

The last time I saw Eszti was in her apartment. She wanted to meet my wife Merri. They hit it off instantly and the three of us chatted and laughed like old friends. I finally felt grown-up.

Much of her lives on in our hearts and memories. I’m grateful to the Universe for placing the Votaws so directly in my path that even I couldn’t miss the opportunity. To say the least, my life was changed immeasurably.

loco

Acme Iron and Metal Recycling Company

Acme Iron and Metal Recycling CompanyWe recycled enough metal to fill our truck bed. We took it to a company that has acres of scrap destined for recycling instead of the landfill. And got $47 for our trouble (plus a dollar and some change).

If you go to Acme in Albuquerque and you have copper or aluminum, stop at the shed on the far left across the lot from the cashier. Have the precious stuff weighed first. Drive large loads of less precious metal to the south side of the cashier up onto the left scale stopping at the second window for instructions. Then, wait in line with others. Eventually, you’ll turn around and back up towards a crane with a monstrous claw. You can help the workers pull everything out into a big pile, then drive out. Stop on the other scale until you get a thumbs-up, then go to the cashier for your reward.

Acme Iron and Metal Recycling Company

Acme Iron and Metal Recycling Company

Acme Iron and Metal Recycling Company

The Atheist's Pulpit

Keep Moving, Growing, Learning…

Two articles this past week struck a chord for me. Both featured people much older than I am who are living life well. Makes me think.

ABQJournal Online » Climber Still Rocks at 95 By Ryan Boetel / The Daily Times on Thu, Sep 27, 2012

[T]o celebrate his 95th birthday on Monday, John Rusen reached the top of the 30-foot climbing wall at the San Juan College Health and Human Performance Center.

Rusen has a 5-year-old tradition of climbing to the top of the climbing wall for his birthday.

“I was a little rusty,” he said after his climb. “It was a little bit harder up there than it used to be. But that comes with age, I guess.”

Rusen said he’s been fascinated with rocks and climbing since childhood. He’s summited several 14,000-foot peaks in Colorado and started technical rock climbing more than 40 years ago…. [mjh: when he was just a few years younger than I am now]

Rusen said he works every day to keep his mind and wiry muscles in shape. He takes his dog for a walk each morning, golfs twice a week, even in winter, chops wood, dances, hikes and skis.

“I don’t do structured exercises, but I do something every day,” he said. “I have a yellow Labrador and she insists I go walking every morning. That gets me ready for the day.”

A retired engineer for Schlumberger, Rusen said he reads two books a week and takes courses at San Juan College to work out his mind.

He’s currently enrolled in a mineralogy course.

“My idea is that you have to keep learning,” he said. “You’re dying unless you’re growing and you’re growing when you’re learning.”

ABQJournal Online » Climber Still Rocks at 95

A Candid Conversation With Sandra Day O’Connor: ‘I Can Still Make a Difference’ | Parade.com by David Gergen

Today at 82, [Sandra Day O’Connor] hasn’t changed a bit. Slender and fit, she still has an adventuresome spirit—the same confidence and drive that propelled her from the high desert to the highest court in the land. …

By this stage in life, most people would put their feet up and say, “I’ve had a good run. Now I’m going to rest and enjoy.” But you—
I had a good life, and the reason it was a good life is because I stayed busy doing the things that mattered to me. If I stopped doing that, I think my whole life would disintegrate. I want to feel like, to the extent that I’m able to, I can still make a difference.

A Candid Conversation With Sandra Day O’Connor: ‘I Can Still Make a Difference’ | Parade.com

"It does not require a majority to prevail, but rather an irate, tireless minority keen to set brush fires in people's minds." — Sam Adams