Uncategorized

Am I too old

As I look for ways to secure my financial future while our markets melt down and politicians dither on bailing out executives with billion dollar assets, I find myself wondering if I’m finally too old to make money on the streets…either begging or hooking. I’m beyond having too much pride for either. 

Continue reading →
Uncategorized

McCain too old to multi-task?

So McCain had to suspend his campaign to run back to DC and save us from financial disaster. Hmmm…wonder where he’s been the past thirty years while deregulation and greed replaced motherhood and apple pie as the symbols of America. And why can’t he debate Obama?  Is he too old to multi task? How about letting his VP choice continue to run the campaign for him? Oh wait. That’s right. He doesn’t trust his campaign in her hands. He trusts our country in her hands but not his campaign. Geez!

Continue reading →
Columns 2008

CEOs paid to run companies into the ground

To the great amusement of friends and family alike, I am going to tackle the issue of our national financial situation. We will pause for a moment while they all laugh hysterically and then wipe the tears from their eyes.

You see, I managed to live through the entire Alaska pipeline boom without saving enough to assure I will never have to wear a paper cap and lean out a window to ask if you want fries with your burger. I did at one point have some money put aside. It was embezzled. Then I put some more aside and

Continue reading →
Uncategorized

A pretzel

Each time I watch McCain explain how he represents change in Washington, I get the mental image of a pretzel in my mind.  Is he really so old and senile that he doesn’t remember that he represents the party in charge?

Continue reading →
Uncategorized

The world of high finance

I see a paper cap and the words, “Would you like fries with that?” in my future.  Or maybe no paper cap and the words, “Welcome to WalMart. Would you like a cart?” Yeah. That’s a better way to go. No greasy smell to ruin by Value Village used clothes.

So this is the American dream writ large.  My little savings is threatened while the White House bails out people who make more in a year than I’ve made in a lifetime. Who would have ever thought…..?

Continue reading →
Uncategorized

a follow up on the bees

Went walking with the dogs along the same path as the one we took the day the bees attacked. As we got closer to the driveway that had harbored the bees, both Blue and Blondie moved to the opposite side of the road. Blue in particular decided that she wanted to walk right next to my leg. In fact, if I’d have let her, she would have preferred to crawl up my leg and hide until we passed the driveway. When she realized that wasn’t going to happen, she went over and got next to Blondie, placing Blondie between her

Continue reading →
Uncategorized

Huh?

Boy, I guess I must have taken a longer nap than I thought because when I woke up, I found that Palin had abdicated being governor of Alaska and somehow the McCain campaign had been elected in her place.  I don’t want to put too fine a point on this but, as an Alaskan, I must ask. What the hell is going on? Why are McCain’s people answering questions, holding press conferences and getting their noses and other body parts in the middle of Alaska issues. Hell, McCain came in a distant third in the Republican presidential primary here. So

Continue reading →
Uncategorized

Bees

My dogs and I were attacked by a swarm of bees this week. How was your week?

Continue reading →
Uncategorized

Something that may amuse you

Those of my faithful readers who have some strange desire to learn about the more insane workings of my mind as I write should head over to http://49writers.blogspot.com and check out an interview I did there with Andromeda Romano-Lax.  Fair warning…it may destroy all illusions you have about the way a writer’s mind forms thoughts and opinions.  Alas, you will find that with the exception of gods like Charles Dickens, most of us are all too mortal and pedantic in our creative process.

Continue reading →
Columns 2008

McCain made cynical choice

There was a time when I thought John McCain really was a different kind of politician, one who would put his country above his personal desire for grandeur. I stopped thinking that the day he announced Sarah Palin as his running mate. The sheer hubris that went into that selection simply takes my breath away.

Sarah Palin is untested and untried. There were dozens of other people much more qualified to be McCain’s running mate who would not have caused people to question how ready they’d be to take over if something happened to McCain. To my mind, it’s fairly

Continue reading →