I Hate Government Spending - Unless I Get Some

Not long ago I overheard a man complaining about the federal deficit and how the government should stop giving away money. He was fed up with fancy stimulus programs and bailouts.

In the very next breath, he said he hoped Congress would extend and expand the first time home buyers’ credit because, as a mortgage broker, it was good for his business. I suppose that is similar to senior citizens who use Medicare saying they don’t want government health care programs.

I do not bring this up to begin a political discussion. I mention it because I do not understand what these people are saying.

Mr. Spock, the ultimate in logical thinking, might use this example of deductive reasoning: The Social Security Administration is part of the federal government. Medicare is part of the Social Security Administration. Medicare is a health care program. Therefore, Medicare is a government health care program.

Someone over age 65 arguing against government health care while at the same time charging their doctor visits to Medicare is not logical thinking. The same applies to the mortgage broker. A person cannot oppose government stimulus packages and then hope that the home buyers’ credit program is extended.

If I apply deductive reasoning to both these situations, I must assume that these people are not capable of logical thinking or they are communicating something else.

If I understand correctly, these citizens are saying that they are opposed to government spending programs unless they are on the receiving end of them. They don’t want their tax dollars to be used for government programs but they are happy if my tax dollars are used that way.

I wonder what Mr. Spock would say.

What Are They Thinking?

You may have seen the news that the Disney Company wants to change Mickey Mouse. I have no problem with updating The Mouse. I have a huge problem with the attributes they have given him. Apparently the Disney Company is telling us that a cunning, selfish, and naughty Mickey is better than an honest, cheerful and friendly one. Good Lord – what does that say about the Disney Company and about us? Below are excerpts of the letter I sent today to Robert Iger, CEO of The Walt Disney Company.

Per the New York Times, “Mickey won’t be bland anymore, either. I wanted him to be able to be naughty — when you’re playing as Mickey you can misbehave and even be a little selfish,” Mr. Spector said.”

Selfish? Naughty? Isn’t there enough of that in this world? Aren’t we in economic turmoil because people are selfish and naughty? It seems to me that Wall Street, Washington and board rooms are overflowing with “cantankerous and cunning.” We get enough “edgy” on the evening news. I think you’d better take a look at the Mickey frame shown on MSN.com today. His look isn’t edgy. It’s evil.

My family, including the teens, likes Mickey because he is NOT bad. He is honest, warm-hearted and cheerful – all attributes we wish were more plentiful in the world. What is next to the Harry Potter poster? A stuffed Mickey. What do you see on car antennas everywhere? Smiling Mickeys. Who gets the biggest hug when we go to Florida? Mickey.

Mickey can and should do new things – place him in new situations, have him use new technology. Mickey can street dance, he can text. He is static only because you didn’t pay any attention to him for years. Approving an evil Mickey is not the way to make us spend more money on him. I guarantee that we will not visit a cunning Mickey at Walt Disney World nor we will buy a game that features a selfish Mickey.

I strongly encourage you to rethink your vandalism. Mickey can be updated (we have a poster that shows his evolution) but do not make him just another slug in our society.

If you feel the same way, you might want to contact the Disney Company and tell them what you think. The mailing address is 500 S Buena Vista St, Burbank CA 91521

Bowing Our Way to Better Health?

Where I live, it is common practice for people to greet each other with a hug. The closeness or tightness of the embrace is determined by the relationship and level of feeling one person has for another. For those they love, it is a tight embrace. For others, they may offer the hugging version of an air kiss.

Having recently attended a party where I watched a lot of hugging and kissing, I was reminded that the Japanese bow to one another. They are known for their reverence for personal space. Our hugging behavior is indicative of our casual style. We often communicate our feelings through touch. The Japanese say just as much, but they don’t need to handle one another to do it. The various levels of the bow indicate the intensity of formality, respect and emotional bond.

For health reasons alone, bowing makes a lot more sense to me than casual hugging or kissing. Aren’t we all exposed to enough flu viruses without eagerly pushing our noses into someone else’s space to inhale more?

As I head to the local pharmacy to get my annual flu shot, I debate bowing to the nurse practitioner. While I have no doubt that my family and friends will think I’ve lost my mind if I suddenly substitute a bow for an embrace, I sure am tempted.

Tell, Don't Show

Recently several friends upgraded to the latest and greatest in cell phone technology which includes video capability. Now I routinely receive short clips of the cat, the beach and anything else that strikes their fancy.

All this live-action contact made me wonder – does a picture really say a thousand words?

Thirty seconds of the cat sleeping under the hosta was charming. A clip of vacationing friends at the beach made me jealous. Interestingly, all I received in my email inbox were the video clips with no written commentary accompanying them.

How often are G3 phone users letting video do all the talking for them? While I enjoyed receiving the videos, the lack of words was interesting. One particular friend is a reporter and words, or the lack thereof, will never be an issue. However other friends are somewhat verbally challenged either because they are shy or they communicate best in other ways.

So I wonder – will short video clips replace telephone conversations? Instead of my friends calling or emailing me to tell me about the cute kitty, will I receive only video from now on?

And what about that vacation at the beach? How did my friends feel about their time together? Did they form closer bonds as a family? Did they do anything other than sit on the beach? Why was Grandmother sitting off by herself?

There is an adage in writing – show, don’t tell. However, the opposite can be said for the current video rage. It shows a lot but doesn’t tell me much.

JOHN ADAMS - ACROSS THE CENTURIES

I just finished reading the biography of John Adams by David McCullough. What a fascinating read! I discovered that Adams was more astute than I thought and Jefferson was no saint. The country struggles today with the same issues that plagued us at our birth.

In light of our current political climate, I was impressed by Adams’ statement, "There is nothing I dread so much as a division of the Republic into two great parties, each arranged under its leader and converting measures into opposition to each other." Political parties, he also said, are to be "dreaded as the greatest political evil under our Constitution."

Even as two political parties were forming and the struggle for domination of our country began, Adams communicated his concern in such strong words that they reach us more than 200 years later. Our founding fathers were mere mortals and as subject to the allure of great power as politicians are today.

How do we know this? Because we have their letters. Much of the McCullough biography is based on the letters the Adams family wrote and received. We also have Adams’ books and essays about various topics he felt were important.

In an earlier post, I alluded to the loss we will suffer because people no longer write to one another. Adams’ biography is a perfect example. What I now know about our second president would not have been possible without his written correspondence.

Somewhere a future president is happily texting her friends or parents. Centuries from now, Americans will not know much about her because her thoughts will be lost in cyberspace. I hope that changes. I enjoyed getting to know Mr. Adams and I think future generations will want to learn more about their leaders, too.