My Wonderful Family. An Insider's Look

The other day I was involved in a discussion on voting and the tendencies of certain groups to vote in blocs. Specifically someone was making repeated references to a statistic claiming that 90% of blacks voted Democratic, in his words "blindly," "devotedly," and "lovingly." I know, right? Just a tad racist. He's otherwise a reasonably intelligent guy from what I know from our posting history.

So we started talking about kinds of blocs and why you can't assume all or most members of that bloc act in tandem, especially at the voting booth.

I decided to challenge his theory. I offered to provide information about my family to see if he could determine how, or if, we would vote "as a bloc." He declined the challenge, which kind of  showed his inability to believably defend his statistics and assumptions.

But, anyway, I have an incredible family! With vast and varied experiences, which we share with each other! We try our best to stay connected -thank you Facebook- and get together regularly, in celebrations with now four generations of family! Amazing, right?

So though he declined the challenge, I realized I wanted to share the incredibleness of my family! So I'm doing it here. The info is not all encompassing, just the usual stuff considered by political organizations when determining their campaign strategies targeted toward certain voters. We were, after all, talking politics when this little project came to mind. Here's the info I came up with, just from memory. I'm sure there are inaccuracies, but I suck at math and with so many people, especially young adults whose lives are in flux, I hope I've gotten it right. My apologies if I didn't. If anybody has corrections, feel free to let me know. And dammit! Get those changes in for the directory! Yes, for those of you readers who aren't familiar with us, the family is close enough and large enough to justify publishing an actual directory of contact information!

I come from a large extended family on my mother's side. Her mother's ancestry was full Irish and her father's was full English.  My father's side was mixed from the UK and Ireland, so I'll focus on just the maternal side.

My mom's family had seven kids. They married and produced our generation of thirty-five kids. We have multiplied and brought forth another sixty-nine, say fifty of whom are old enough to vote. They in turn have added two old enough to vote and twelve more who are toddlers. So, if my math is correct, that is a total of 125 people.  Subtracting the deceased because, even though we are predominantly Boston area based Irish Catholic, our dead don't vote, and given that we really do only vote once each, and subtracting minors, that means that we have a voting bloc of eighty-eight people. There are a few that might not vote but I think nearly all do. So let's be conservative and say it's an eighty person bloc, all of whom are white with an English/Irish Roman Catholic background passed on from the couple who started this incredible group!

So, the make-up of this voting bloc is thus, according to my maybe-not-so-accurate but well intended attempt to describe it:

Religious- 

My Episcopalian grandfather converted to Catholicism to marry my grandmother. My generation is predominantly Catholic with a few Episcopalians and agnostics. The next generation is fairly mixed and adds a couple of atheists and a Jew, also a marriage-related conversion. So let's take out religion, except to leave in Christian-like values.

Education-

 All but seven are college educated, a few with two-year degrees, eleven with at least one advanced degree. So, well educated. 

Economic- with such a varied range of ages and careers, predominantly somewhere in what is considered a broad range of working middle class, with exceptions.

Military-

One has spent his entire career in the military, another served during Vietnam, one served in Iraq and two returned home from deployments within the last year and intend to continue their military careers, both in Army Special Forces. 

Employment-

There are firefighters and police officers, teachers, artists,  doctors, lawyers, construction workers, a cook, and for some reason a humanities major like I am can't fathom, a goodly number of MBAs in finance and insurance. I don't do the numbers game. Correction, I CAN'T do the numbers game. So, heavy on the sciences and maths, and white collars,  light on the arts and blue collars. 

Ethnicity-

All white Americans except two adopted from different countries, so not American by birth, but at 12 (Vietnam) and 14 (Russia), they don't vote anyway. 

Recent posts I've made, moving me to "Bring Back the Blog!"

On "Tiger Taints the Masters"

Tiger's game. Tiger's rules. Tiger has pwoned the PGA for years. The PGA will not even sniff at the hand that feeds them. They're trading a level of integrity self-imposed by players for years for advertising money and exposure. I used to applaud their attempts to reach out to a greater audience and expand the numbers of young amateur golfers who would eventually feed the pro system. Now they just suck. I can see my dad, my uncle Jim C., and their fellow BHCC players all collectively turning in their graves at this obvious dismissal of integrity by the world's greatest professional representative of the game. My dad always stressed the importance of fair play, usually on the football field but especially on the golf course, where the player is responsible for being his own judge, referee, official. Today, no Masters for me. I'll watch some highlights, unless somebody actually attempts to restore integrity to the Green Jacket. Instead I'm gonna watch some honest-toGod hockey, where rules are rules and nobody gives a shit but everybody knows it. They play in the light even when there's no "spotlight." and they make no excuses for it.

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I think the conversation about whether Woods should have been disqualified and/or should withdraw on his own turns on how the rule is applied. The question is whether this part of the rules applies to Tiger's situation: "Facts that he or she didn't know and cannot reasonably have discovered prior to returning his scorecard." Whether or not the rules in general apply to Tiger Woods is a discussion for another day!

In this situation, Tiger himself triggered the controversy. He said in an interview that he changed the position of his drop because it would provide him a better opportunity to stay on the green with his next shot. That makes it an intentional and strategic violation of the rule to gain an advantage. YOU JUST CAN'T DO THAT!!!

It makes his score on that hole questionable because, by his own admission, Tiger knowingly broke the rule and was not at the mercy of a fact he didn't know or couldn't reasonably have known. Few of us can be convinced that the world's greatest golfer, after having played thousands of rounds of golf, wouldn't know his drop was illegal, making his recorded score incorrect, making his signing and presenting his scorecard a direct violation.

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Tiger ADMITTED to putting his ball away from the spot it should have been, and that his action gave him an advantage. In golf, where players pride themselves on fair play and integrity, this is called cheating. Then he lied about it on Twitter.

Tiger, after his match:..

"So I went back to where I had played it from but I went two yards further back and I took, tried to take two yards off the shot of where I felt I hit. And that should land me short of the flag and not have it either hit the flag or skip over the back."

Anybody who plays a sport where ball placement is key KNOWS there are rules regarding that placement at the start of the next shot. That's why all major sports have specific rules about ball placement in specific situations.

Tiger, on Twitter AFTER being busted by a viewer, who reported his move and being assigned a penalty, is lying, saying he didn't realize what he did was a violation.  Really? The "world's greatest golfer" doesn't know an illegal drop when he makes one?

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On Gun Control

In response to the following post, it also needs to be considered that we are now well protected by a real regulated milita in the development of the armed forces as well as official reserve forces. Civilians who depend on the Second Amendment aren't arming themselves against tyranny and foreign invaders, as much as they want to delude themselves or us into believing they are. They are arming themselves against each other and the rest of us. You can own as many guns as you want. I don't have a problem with responsible gun ownership! Just don't hide behind the second amendment because, as written, it doesn't truly apply today and imparting it at every turn lessens the impact of your arguments.  We don't want to take your guns away, we just want responsibility and an end to reckless and negligent owners. And to stop hearing about rights being based on a situation that is centuries in the past. I think the Second Amendment needs to be , itself, amended. I would retain the phrase " the right to bear arms" but I would update the rest to apply to the current atmosphere and weapons technology.

 On Facebook:  "Hans Guth:

 Knite Wolf - what kind of "arms" do you think they were referring to 200+ years ago? Musket rifles? By all means - have as many of those as you want. The definition of what the 2nd amendment refers to MUST be reevaluated based on the development of technology."

 

 

 

Like a bad penny, I've turned up again!

After years  -can't believe it's been that long!-  of inactivity, I'm going to restart my blog. I've just found myself pondering too many issues, and responding on too many boards, that I figured I'll just go back to putting my thoughts and opinions out there on my own. I LOVE to discuss things. Lots of things. Very eclectic things! And people! Some would say I love to argue. That has a ring of truth to it. I can be stubborn. I can be tenacious. I can be an ass! But I try always to be respectful and open-minded. And I encourage opposite viewpoints! How else can we learn and maybe even evolve our attitudes and opinions if we don't listen to the opposition?

So please feel free to comment. But feel equally free to argue, to question, to challenge my statements, either factual or opinion.

And if you feel the urge, take a look at some of my old posts! In the near future I will revisit and update them, because a LOT has changed since then, both personally and in our world!

So, with all due credit to ELO,



Welcome back my friends to the show that never ends 
We're so glad you could attend Come inside! Come inside! There behind a glass is a real blade of grass be careful as you pass Move along! Move along! Come inside, the show's about to start guaranteed to blow your head apart Rest assured you'll get your money's worth The greatest show in Heaven, Hell or Earth You've got to see the show, it's a dynamo You've got to see the show, it's rock and roll ...

Y'all come back, now. Ya hear?

almost had a panic attack in the Party Store yesterday. I was shopping with Marcia and was totally stressed trying not to blurt out stuff about her upcoming surprise party. She knows there's a party but that's all she knows. We had to tell her because it's in MA and she wouldn't take kindly to being locked in the trunk for the fourteen hour drive. Plus we'd have to blindfold her to let her out every two hours to pee. She IS gonna be fifty, after all. Anyway, since she knows nothing about the party and I know, umm, more than nothing, it was really hard when she was talking about getting stuff for the reunion and I'd immediately think about the birthday party. Seriously, now I know what "biting your tongue" really means. And it freakin' HURTS!

What's for lunch?

Man, I could go for a really good BLT today. Too bad the tomatoes are all still green. The lettuce is awesome, and I cooked some bacon the other day so I have cooked bacon in the freezer. Waitin' on the 'maters.

My Garden

Hey, ya know those pictures of dirt I posted before? The ones I said were my garden? Well check it out NOW! Yeah, THAT's what I'm talkin' about!

Ivory Carpet Rose






Red Razz Rose















Tomatoes






Pumpkins









Lettuce








cukes, pumpkins, watermelon, strawberries









corn in the back, peas on left, pumpkins on right with cukes and lettuce in between







Mmmmmmmmmmmmm.......GOOD!

An Octopus's Garden

I'm beginning to think that's what I've created. It seems I have stuff sprouting all over. Wow! It looks like great success! It looks like I have a green thumb. It looks like ... like I have a LOT of work ahead of me.

Okay, so I've got several varieties of tomatoes (who knew there could be so many? You say tomato, I say heirloom or hybrid?), a couple of varieties of corn, three kinds of peas (again, who knew?), lettuces, onions, cucumbers, squash, pumpkins (if the early leaves are any indication, Charlie Brown better get ready to bring it!), watermelon, strawberries, raspberries, and roses. Oh, flowers and plants galore! Red roses, pink roses, white roses and wildflowers and ornamental grasses, phlox, verbana, red flowers, blue flowers, pink flowers (florus pinkus?). A LOT of vegetation on my tiny plot of terra firma.

Here are pix of what the garden looked like a week after I got everything planted/transplanted. I started most of it from seeds, except the roses, phlox, and berry bushes. In a day or two I'll post pix of what it looks like now, three weeks later. If I can hack my way through it to get close enough for pix! Just kidding.

Anyway, enjoy. And if you need some salad fixin's....

Cavs in Eastern Conference Finals

Back to Blogging. I don't know why I keep stopping but, it is what it is. I think that's one of my new favorite sayings. It's a little profound, a little zen, a little smart-assy.

Anyway, had a great day today. Took a couple of the neighbor kids down to FanFest down by the Q before the Cavs game. The Q being Quicken Loans Arena, the Cavs being the Cleveland Cavaliers. It was kind of disappointing. At one point I wondered if this was the same kind of FanFest they have at other teams' venues, or if it was lame because it was Cleveland. I know it was basketball related, but they could have had more fun things for the kids to do than just shooting hoops. Shooting hoops at different height baskets where even a six year old can dunk and get some rim time - pretty cool. Shooting out-of-round stuffed toy basketballs at a mini hoop attached to a spinning wheel - not so cool. Shooting an out-of-round stuffed basketball at lowered hoops with a slingshot - meh.

Plus, they advertised food and drink, but there was none. The events were held in a small raised park area between the Q (AKA Gund Arena) and Progressive Field (AKA The Jake). The grassy area was bordered by one of those fat cement walls that can also serve as seating. Unfortunately, there was no handicap access onto the grassy area. That kinda sucked. On the other hand, because the area around the grassy area was sloped, the cement wall was short enough at one end that it was not much higher than stair height. So I could get up there with the kids.

I was kinda hoping they might have tix available to the game, since they do release some game day tix. I waited in line for about a half hour while the kids were playing and sure enough! There were tix available. For a minimum price of $143 for the normally $25 seats. Yeah, thanks but no thanks. So we left early and stopped at Sam's club and bought some burgers and dogs and stuff and had our own "concession" while watching the game on the front lawn.

Man, these basketball and hockey playoffs have been great this year. Cavs had their first playoff loss of the year on Wednesday after a long layoff while the Celts played their hearts out and took the Magic to seven games. So the Magic were more in playoff mode for the first game at the Cavs. It was a close game but I think the Cavs were out of competition mode. Tonight (last night?) Cavs had a good lead, then the lead changed a few times but the Magic looked like they were going to take it after a pretty good comeback. They tied it up and then went ahead by two after the Cavs fouled them with one second left. Yes, one second. Play started with about 13 seconds left and for some reason the Cavs didn't foul the Magic til the clock ran down to 1 second. So the Magic guy shoots two free throws and they go up by 2. Cavs call time out, so they can inbound at their own end. 1 second left. ONE SECOND LEFT. The inbound pass goes to LeBron. Yeah. You better believe it. Runaroundalittlecatchtheballandshootthethree. Shoot the three. He shot the three. HE SHOT THE THREE!!!!AT THE BUZZER!!! Cavs win by one. Yeah, I think they're back. They don't call him the king for nuthin'.

BTW, the Celts were un....believable taking the Magic to seven games. I'd hoped they'd eke it out past the Bulls, but didn't think they'd get past five with the Bulls. Too bad for the late injuries or they could have repeated. But, GO CAVS!!!

Can a dog be "prejudiced"?

What a ridiculous comment, this, made by "Tamar Geller, a California-based celebrity dog "life coach" who trained Oprah Winfrey's puppies..."

""the dog has to be very well mannered. We need to make sure that the dog is not afraid of loud noises because he may hear loud arguments in the Oval Office, and he mustn't be afraid of people with beards and turbans and so on because he is going to meet a lot of foreign dignitaries." "

This is from an article on the BBC website about the Obamas' choice for a new dog for their girls. Maybe this woman should stick to "coaching" celebrity dogs.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/us_elections_2008/7714480.stm

And another thing

What about the audacity of the Republican Party to think it can hide all the newly exposed problems it had with the Palin candidacy? How dare they think they can foist such an ignorant, ill-prepared candidate on the American people? And to think it almost came to fruition. We almost got suckered into allowing this attempt at deception to succeed. How close we came to falling for this Trojan Horse of a candidacy.

We haven't seen a candidate this unqualified for the position since Dan Quayle. And at least his problems were more a difficulty with performing on a public stage rather than an a lack of intelligence or understanding. Dan Quayle is a successful and honorable man in the private sector who was unable to survive scrutiny without melting under the glare of an international spotlight. Sarah Palin is an idiot.

Yes, an idiot. And her "handlers" are not exactly living at the top of the intelligence food chain, either. I hope the leaders of the Republican Party can find a way to purge their party of the infighters and manipulators who are so willing to sell us (Americans) out for their own benefit. The strategy was very short-sighted in that, had it succeeded, the gains would have been short-lived. Obviously the involved parties were bursting at the seams to tell their sordid stories about Palin's inadequacies or rogue courage, depending on which side you believe.

The ends in this case do not justify the means. The potential damage that the American people would have suffered had this charade continued is almost beyond imagination. It could have pushed us over the edge at a time when we are teetering on a precipice of crises both foreign and domestic, ideological and economic; it could very well have undermined our faith in ourselves and others' faith in us; it could have led us beyond a tipping point of self destruction.

As a lifelong Democrat and a student of political economy, I understand the nature of politics. I understand the dirty, behind the scenes "strategery" and the absolute focus on getting one's candidate elected, one's agenda passed. What I don't understand is the Republicans' seeming willingness to pass off on the American people a person so lacking in qualifications, so unwilling to compromise and work within the boundaries of the campaign, so completely and utterly at odds with the concepts of reason, loyalty, responsible behavior, and conscientious citizenship as Sarah Palin appears now to be.

Sure, we questioned the choice. We questioned her abilities, her intelligence, her character. And we were denied the truth. And now the truth is being exposed, at the very least to the detriment of the Republican Part but also to the detriment of the American people.

I only hope that now Sarah Palin will return to Alaska and perhaps reconsider her governorship, consider the damage she has done to the Republican Party and to Alaskans' standing in the eyes of their countrymen. Perhaps she can use her VP candidacy as a stepping stone to a career in the private sector where her influence and actions will be limited, where she can no longer impose her narrow-minded policies on the public, where her inability to understand or engage in ethical behavior will not be rewarded. I hope that, as a people, we have heard the last of Sarah Palin and she will become but a footnote in American history, having no real impact on our reputation as a country or damage to our standing in the world-wide community.

Hey Sarah!
See ya. Wouldn't want to BE ya!