MuttonChops

Telling you how to vote would go against the very principle of my blog. You should think about your own values and needs and make your own decision. What I can do is throw a few morsels out that you can chew on while you ponder the choices. Often, the most obvious imperfections can be masked by simple illusions. Sarah Palin flew out of John McCain’s pocket quicker than a dove from David Copperfield’s handkerchief. Dainty, delicate and dandy to look at, Palin balances McCain’s heavy hand. He seems to be banking on her ability to lure flies with honey but voters need to watch out for the SNAP of the Venus Flytrap! My best friend raised four children and rebuked some of the commentary on Palin’s speech during the republican convention. “They kept saying how she had presence and commanded attention,” my friend said. “The woman’s got five kids – she damn well better have the ability to command attention! If she can’t then there’s something wrong!” As we further considered this little barrac...

"It is not easy to construct by mere scientific synthesis a foolproof system which will lead our children in a desired direction and avoid an undesirable one. Obviously, good can come only from a continuing interplay between that which we, as students, are gradually learning and that which we believe in, as people." — Erik Homburger Erikson (1902-1994) Erik Erikson developed the theory that there are eight stages of psychosocial development in a person's life. We may go through them systematically, and develop as well-rounded, functional beings. Sustain a jolt during one of the stages and a person can get stuck or develop in an unhealthy way. He believed that a person having psychological problems could revisit the related area of development, pinpoint the issue that caused the derailment and, voila' a healthy mental state is returned. (Yes, I'm severely paraphrasing here but it's hard to squeeze a semester of psychology into one paragraph!) Now, take this the...

Letting others draw conclusions and define opinion is so much easier than thinking through issues alone. At least, that must be the reason that people are quick to jump on a bandwagon before checking the wheels. I have a friend that is a strong republican. He forwards emails to me that bash Obama but I don't complain since I know how to use my "delete" button. On Friday, CNN reported that some delegates were heading to the democratic convention with the intention of voting for Hilary Clinton. These representatives feel that if their state voted for her then they should reflect their voters' preference. The reporter went on to say that it was a type of homage to Clinton's efforts. She has publicly backed Obama and both candidates reflect a united party. Today, my friend sent an email that quotes obscure news reports of Clinton's plans to fight for the nomination at the convention. My next email is from the Clinton campaign saying the senator is looking forward ...

Mrs. Newton taught our 7th grade Social Studies class. She was a petite woman with short gray hair that was kept styled with slight curls and a bit of teasing. She always had her make-up just right though she did have more than her share of wrinkles and deep furrows along her brow - probably from teaching hormonal tweens. Her lips were accentuated with lipstick and she usually had them drawn tight. I honestly don't ever remember her smiling. It was the early 70s and my generation was aware of the Vietnam War and heard about the horrors of POW camps. Metal bracelets were worn that bore the name of a soldier missing in action or known to be captured, probably a precursor to today's colored bands for various causes. Early in the semester, Mrs. Newton was showing a film strip in class. As the record played the narration, there was a "ding" to tell the student media assistant when to advance the frame. As the voice droned on about government issues, eyelids got heavier. ...

A wolf with a shepherd's hook does not make the best herder; yet the public continually gets led by false authority figures. For many years, Jesse Jackson has been in media interviews representing various causes. He managed to ride the coattails of Martin Luther King, Jr. and has hopped into the limelight whenever possible. Throughout his career he has made gaffes fueling satire over his lack of verbal coherency, an affair resulting in a child, and showing up in any location where there is perceived racial injustice. In spite of his cartoonish reputation, there are people who actually believe he is worthy of respect and an expert in race relations and civil unrest. With elections looming in the near future, media outlets are pulling in people who are supposed analysts, experts, and party representatives. I listen to them state their cases, argue against opposing views, and give opinions about how campaigns will progress. I've even heard a couple of people say, in a disguise of ...

The debate over staying in Iraq continues in the middle of a tumultuous election year. Even though there seems to be at least two sides to the debate over the war - stay or go - there is a lot of commonality. No one wants to see American soldiers die; no one wants to give terrorism any advantage; everyone is concerned about the economy with loss of jobs and homes and increased pricing on everything. Beyond those points, we can agree to disagree. Facts and figures are floating around as American soldiers continue to face numerous hardships. Among their strifes are multiple tours of duty. Not only are troops spending long periods of time in Iraq, they come back to the United States for a short time only to return again - not just once, but two and three times! As one seasoned veteran noted, "We don't even have a draft - these soldiers are enlisting voluntarily and are being treated like this!" Enlisted personnel are returning stateside with post-traumatic stress syndrome an...

Producers and editors decide what to show in the news and without question the public dutifully absorbs whatever tidbits they are thrown. The stories may be about hostages and wildfires but viewers and readers rarely complain about being held hostage by their televisions while being fried at the flanks. We have 24-hour news services but they only run the same stories repeatedly. And anyone in a hurry has the option of a 24-hour headline channel! Instead of digging for news and offering stories in ways that might present a broader scope of issues, the media has gotten tunnel vision focusing on the almighty dollar. Recent coverage focused on the rescue of hostages in Columbia. Reports revealed a simplistic plan: locate the hostages, fly a helicopter in and take the hostages out. The helicopter was an old one previously used by the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Columbia (FARC). Oddly enough, when the chopper landed, and the rescuers pretended to be part of FARC saying, "We're mov...