Isn't it comforting to know that the United States senate is one of the few remaining bastions of chivalry?
Where else could Louisiana Gov. Kathleen Babineaux Blanco go and receive kid glove treatment in the aftermath of one of the most incompetent exhibitions of leadership in American gubernatorial history other than the U.S. Senate?
A day after former FEMA Director Michael Brown was excoriated before a senate committee and termed "clueless" by one of its members, Gov. Blanco appeared and requested that the committee "not talk about her performance during Hurricane Katrina." Apparently it mattered not that the senate committee had issued an invitation to Governor Blanco ostensibly to respond to Mr. Brown's charges that Louisiana was dysfunctional during the emergency response to Katrina.
The kindly senators all agreed with Governor Blanco that it would be more important to discuss the size of the aid package that would be necessary to begin the process of repairing the damage done by both Katrina and the administration of Ms. Blanco and Mr. Nagin.
Couldn't one senator have mustered the nerve to ask Governor Blanco what assurances that the American tax payer would have that the same levels of incompetence and corruption which apparently are the hallmark of Lousiana government won't be displayed in the rebuilding of the state in the same way that it was on display in it's destruction?
Even more importantly than the future how about just a few questions as to what Governor Blanco is doing right now to alleviate the suffering of her constituents who were victimized by the disaster?
No, the primary leader of a state that has just under gone some of the most egregious failures of civil management responsibility got less of an examination than the adoption records of the children of John Roberts by the New York Times.
How kind of our senators to be so considerate of Governor Blanco's feelings.
Thursday, September 29, 2005
Wednesday, September 28, 2005
Humans would be immortal
Humans could be immortal if we weren't sports fans. I use last year's American League playoffs and this year pennant race as examples of how each at bat in each game steals a little bit of our lifes energy from us.
The emotional roller coaster of being down three games to none and then rising from the dead to defeat the Bronx Bombers left most of us in Sox Nation fully exhausted. Thankfully we were revived by a vanquishing of the Cardinals in four games. While we revived, the Yankee fans suffered a winter of ignominious defeat which probably contributed to a decline in their physical and mental health.
It seemed so short a time to bask in the glory of our first win in 8 plus decades then we were thrust into another season. It began with great expectations of a possible repeat when suddenly the pitching ace and the closer were knocked out of action. The early season cockiness soon dissolved into day to day fretting.
As the interminable season wore on confidence returned as the Sox pulled as far away as 4 plus games ahead of the Yankees. This state of euphoria evaporated when Shaughnessey of the Globe committed an unforgivable sin by declaring the Yankees dead and that the Sox would waltz home to the American League championship. The baseball gods responded not only by tying up the race but also throwing the wild card in question by reviving the Cleveland Indians.
So here we are after 157 games of a 162 game schedule with three teams tied for only two spots. The Sox have two more games with the Blue Jays and then the Bombers are in town for the final three games of the season. In all likelihood the season will come down to the last pitch, in the last game on the last day of the season.
I already have chest pain.
The emotional roller coaster of being down three games to none and then rising from the dead to defeat the Bronx Bombers left most of us in Sox Nation fully exhausted. Thankfully we were revived by a vanquishing of the Cardinals in four games. While we revived, the Yankee fans suffered a winter of ignominious defeat which probably contributed to a decline in their physical and mental health.
It seemed so short a time to bask in the glory of our first win in 8 plus decades then we were thrust into another season. It began with great expectations of a possible repeat when suddenly the pitching ace and the closer were knocked out of action. The early season cockiness soon dissolved into day to day fretting.
As the interminable season wore on confidence returned as the Sox pulled as far away as 4 plus games ahead of the Yankees. This state of euphoria evaporated when Shaughnessey of the Globe committed an unforgivable sin by declaring the Yankees dead and that the Sox would waltz home to the American League championship. The baseball gods responded not only by tying up the race but also throwing the wild card in question by reviving the Cleveland Indians.
So here we are after 157 games of a 162 game schedule with three teams tied for only two spots. The Sox have two more games with the Blue Jays and then the Bombers are in town for the final three games of the season. In all likelihood the season will come down to the last pitch, in the last game on the last day of the season.
I already have chest pain.
Friday, September 23, 2005
Be Ready
For those of us far removed from the events of recent weeks surrounding hurricane Katrina and now Rita have brought the average sober individual to the question of what would we do if we were struck with a sudden natural disaster of any sort?
My short answer is do nothing or be panic stricken since I have taken virtually no precautions whatever for any type of emergency beyond a thunder storm. A flashlight and a few candles is the sum total of my emergency kit.
Fortunately there are a number of places on the web to explore proper preparedness and we can begin by taking a look at http://www.ready.gov/ and some of the things that they recommend. The following is the basic emergency kit:
§ Water, one gallon of water per person per day, for drinking and sanitation
§ Food, at least a three-day supply of non-perishable food
§ Battery-powered radio and extra batteries
§ Flashlight and extra batteries
§ First Aid kit
§ Whistle to signal for help
§ Dust mask or cotton t-shirt, to help filter the air
§ Moist towelettes for sanitation
§ Wrench or pliers to turn off utilities
§ Can opener for food (if kit contains canned food)
§ Plastic sheeting and duct tape to shelter-in-place
§ Unique family needs, such as daily prescription medications, infant formula or diapers, and important family documents
§ Garbage bags and plastic ties for personal sanitation
The water components should look like this;
One gallon of water per person per day, for drinking and sanitation.
Children, nursing mothers, and sick people may need more water.
Store water tightly in clean plastic containers such as soft drink bottles.
Keep at least a three-day supply of water per person.
The food should consist of the following;
Store at least a three-day supply of non-perishable food.
Select foods that require no refrigeration, preparation or cooking and little or no water.
Pack a manual can opener and eating utensils.
Choose foods your family will eat.
Ready-to-eat canned meats, fruits and vegetables
Protein or fruit bars
Dry cereal or granola
Peanut butter
Dried fruit
Nuts
Crackers
Canned juices
Non-perishable pasteurized milk
High energy foods
Vitamins
Food for infants
Comfort/stress foods
For those of us in the Northeast the most likely natural disaster would be a blizzard of epic proportions. The following are some things to learn like the back of your hand.
Eat regularly and drink ample fluids, but avoid caffeine and alcohol.
Avoid overexertion when shoveling snow. Overexertion can bring on a heart attack—a major cause of death in the winter. If you must shovel snow, stretch before going outside.
Watch for signs of frostbite. These include loss of feeling and white or pale appearance in extremities such as fingers, toes, ear lobes, and the tip of the nose. If symptoms are detected, get medical help immediately.
Watch for signs of hypothermia. These include uncontrollable shivering, memory loss, disorientation, incoherence, slurred speech, drowsiness, and apparent exhaustion. If symptoms of hypothermia are detected, get the victim to a warm location, remove wet clothing, warm the center of the body first, and give warm, non-alcoholic beverages if the victim is conscious. Get medical help as soon as possible.
Conserve fuel, if necessary, by keeping your residence cooler than normal. Temporarily close off heat to some rooms.
Maintain ventilation when using kerosene heaters to avoid build-up of toxic fumes. Refuel kerosene heaters outside and keep them at least three feet from flammable objects.
Drive only if it is absolutely necessary. If you must drive, consider the following:
Travel in the day, don’t travel alone, and keep others informed of your schedule
Stay on main roads; avoid back road shortcuts
If a blizzard traps you in the car, keep these guidelines in mind:
Pull off the highway. Turn on hazard lights and hang a distress flag from the radio antenna or window.
Remain in your vehicle where rescuers are most likely to find you. Do not set out on foot unless you can see a building close by where you know you can take shelter. Be careful; distances are distorted by blowing snow. A building may seem close, but be too far to walk to in deep snow.
Run the engine and heater about 10 minutes each hour to keep warm. When the engine is running, open an upwind window slightly for ventilation. This will protect you from possible carbon monoxide poisoning. Periodically clear snow from the exhaust pipe.
Exercise to maintain body heat, but avoid overexertion. In extreme cold, use road maps, seat covers, and floor mats for insulation. Huddle with passengers and use your coat for a blanket.
Take turns sleeping. One person should be awake at all times to look for rescue crews.
Drink fluids to avoid dehydration.
Be careful not to waste battery power. Balance electrical energy needs - the use of lights, heat, and radio - with supply.
Turn on the inside light at night so work crews or rescuers can see you.
If stranded in a remote area, stomp large block letters in an open area spelling out HELP or SOS and line with rocks or tree limbs to attract the attention of rescue personnel who may be surveying the area by airplane.
Leave the car and proceed on foot - if necessary - once the blizzard passes.
The first line of defense against a natural disaster is to at least start thinking about the things you need to be doing to deal with it.
My short answer is do nothing or be panic stricken since I have taken virtually no precautions whatever for any type of emergency beyond a thunder storm. A flashlight and a few candles is the sum total of my emergency kit.
Fortunately there are a number of places on the web to explore proper preparedness and we can begin by taking a look at http://www.ready.gov/ and some of the things that they recommend. The following is the basic emergency kit:
§ Water, one gallon of water per person per day, for drinking and sanitation
§ Food, at least a three-day supply of non-perishable food
§ Battery-powered radio and extra batteries
§ Flashlight and extra batteries
§ First Aid kit
§ Whistle to signal for help
§ Dust mask or cotton t-shirt, to help filter the air
§ Moist towelettes for sanitation
§ Wrench or pliers to turn off utilities
§ Can opener for food (if kit contains canned food)
§ Plastic sheeting and duct tape to shelter-in-place
§ Unique family needs, such as daily prescription medications, infant formula or diapers, and important family documents
§ Garbage bags and plastic ties for personal sanitation
The water components should look like this;
One gallon of water per person per day, for drinking and sanitation.
Children, nursing mothers, and sick people may need more water.
Store water tightly in clean plastic containers such as soft drink bottles.
Keep at least a three-day supply of water per person.
The food should consist of the following;
Store at least a three-day supply of non-perishable food.
Select foods that require no refrigeration, preparation or cooking and little or no water.
Pack a manual can opener and eating utensils.
Choose foods your family will eat.
Ready-to-eat canned meats, fruits and vegetables
Protein or fruit bars
Dry cereal or granola
Peanut butter
Dried fruit
Nuts
Crackers
Canned juices
Non-perishable pasteurized milk
High energy foods
Vitamins
Food for infants
Comfort/stress foods
For those of us in the Northeast the most likely natural disaster would be a blizzard of epic proportions. The following are some things to learn like the back of your hand.
Eat regularly and drink ample fluids, but avoid caffeine and alcohol.
Avoid overexertion when shoveling snow. Overexertion can bring on a heart attack—a major cause of death in the winter. If you must shovel snow, stretch before going outside.
Watch for signs of frostbite. These include loss of feeling and white or pale appearance in extremities such as fingers, toes, ear lobes, and the tip of the nose. If symptoms are detected, get medical help immediately.
Watch for signs of hypothermia. These include uncontrollable shivering, memory loss, disorientation, incoherence, slurred speech, drowsiness, and apparent exhaustion. If symptoms of hypothermia are detected, get the victim to a warm location, remove wet clothing, warm the center of the body first, and give warm, non-alcoholic beverages if the victim is conscious. Get medical help as soon as possible.
Conserve fuel, if necessary, by keeping your residence cooler than normal. Temporarily close off heat to some rooms.
Maintain ventilation when using kerosene heaters to avoid build-up of toxic fumes. Refuel kerosene heaters outside and keep them at least three feet from flammable objects.
Drive only if it is absolutely necessary. If you must drive, consider the following:
Travel in the day, don’t travel alone, and keep others informed of your schedule
Stay on main roads; avoid back road shortcuts
If a blizzard traps you in the car, keep these guidelines in mind:
Pull off the highway. Turn on hazard lights and hang a distress flag from the radio antenna or window.
Remain in your vehicle where rescuers are most likely to find you. Do not set out on foot unless you can see a building close by where you know you can take shelter. Be careful; distances are distorted by blowing snow. A building may seem close, but be too far to walk to in deep snow.
Run the engine and heater about 10 minutes each hour to keep warm. When the engine is running, open an upwind window slightly for ventilation. This will protect you from possible carbon monoxide poisoning. Periodically clear snow from the exhaust pipe.
Exercise to maintain body heat, but avoid overexertion. In extreme cold, use road maps, seat covers, and floor mats for insulation. Huddle with passengers and use your coat for a blanket.
Take turns sleeping. One person should be awake at all times to look for rescue crews.
Drink fluids to avoid dehydration.
Be careful not to waste battery power. Balance electrical energy needs - the use of lights, heat, and radio - with supply.
Turn on the inside light at night so work crews or rescuers can see you.
If stranded in a remote area, stomp large block letters in an open area spelling out HELP or SOS and line with rocks or tree limbs to attract the attention of rescue personnel who may be surveying the area by airplane.
Leave the car and proceed on foot - if necessary - once the blizzard passes.
The first line of defense against a natural disaster is to at least start thinking about the things you need to be doing to deal with it.
Sunday, September 18, 2005
Boston's breach of trust
The issue of the Mary Cummings Trust took on a more confrontational face this week with the printing of a remarkable interview with Jeffrey Conley, executive director of the Boston Finance Commission in the Burlington Union. It is just short of a declaration of war since as far as I know, Mr. Conley has little or no authority to act on behalf of the City of Boston in initiating any lawsuits or ratifying any negotiations.
The interview was remarkable in that it apparently spelled out what Boston's strategy will be in attempting to negotiate a liquidation of the Cummings Trust property and then Boston applying the funds to some other use in Boston such as the construction and up keep of the Rose Kennedy Greenway.
Boston's strategy, according to Mr. Conley would be to negotiate with Burlington and Woburn and would involve as I see it an attempted municipal bribe by offering to donate 12 acres to Burlington as an inducement for Burlington to look the other way while Boston violates every trust law known to mankind. Conley went on to say that if the municipalities could not come to an amicable agreement then "the city could go to court and try to break the trust."
Well it is obvious that Mr. Conley and the City of Boston are operating under the assumption that Burlington and Woburn can some how be bullied into an action that is in complete contrast to what is in both communities and the commonwealth's best interest not to mention what is in complete contravention of Mrs. Cummings express wishes in her will and trust law.
Boston is operating under the mistaken impression that they should be rewarded for 80 years of breach of trust. Boston was left the property with specific instructions as to what the property was to be used for as well as what the additional cash assets were to be dedicated for. The specific language was to "keep the property open forever as a public pleasure ground". Let's re-iterate that point, not any other property, not the Rose Kennedy Greenway, not anywhere else but THIS specific property.
In the Burlington Union interview Mr. Conley states the obvious, in that Boston has not met any terms of the trust for "decades", and apparently has no intention of doing so. Mr. Conley also acknowledges that the trust has over $400,000 that he says came from stock that was liquidated in accordance with instructions in the will. Mr. Conley is incorrect in this assertion since the will specifically states that the income from the stock in the trust should go to the maintenance and upkeep of the property. There is no mention of the word liquidation any where in the will document.
Now that Boston has shown its hand what is left for the Cummings family and the City of Woburn and the Town of Burlington to do? One noted attorney in town suggested to me that we should be careful not to piss off Boston because they would sell the property and we could end up with nothing! Oh really? Despite the fact that we have an attorney general who wants to be governor and might look the other way on this if it meant some votes in Boston and despite the fact that Boston has a large delegation in the Massachusetts House of Representatives, this over all question inevitably will be decided in the courts and not in either of the other two places.
The facts of the matter are pretty clear and they point to the unavoidable fact that Boston and the trustees of the Mary Cummings Trust (who ever they are) are clearly in breach of their fiduciary responsibility to Mrs. Cummings. The operative word here is TRUST. Mrs. Cummings TRUSTED Boston and the named trustees to fulfill her instructions in the will. Those instructions were specific in every way. No where in the will did it say to sell her property for the benefit of some other person's legacy. No where in the will does it say that Boston should benefit financially from the assets of the trust. In fact no where does it say that the residents of Boston should benefit from the property as a public pleasure ground. It only states specifically that this specific property be kept "open forever".
So what is the remedy for the potential plaintiffs against Boston?
Well apparently a plaintiff can rely on res ipsa loquitur. What this means is that the act speaks for itself and needs no other information to determine negligence. This certainly could apply to the trustees 80 year record of negligence in fulfilling the terms of the trust. According to search conducted on the web, "for breach of duty, it must be decided whether or not the defendant, the one being accused of negligence, behaved in a way that a reasonable person would have under similar circumstances." The Cummings Trustees failure is obvious since a descendant of Mrs. Cummings, Mr. Warren Cummings himself will tell you that in his long life the trustees have accomplished virtually nothing of Mrs. Cummings instructions. Take a walk on the property and res ipsa loquitor would come to mind.
An ugly battle could be avoided in all of this if Boston comes to its senses. This property is not an asset of Boston's to be used as a source of income. This is a liability for Boston since it requires Boston to fulfill its responsibilities.
The best course of action is for Boston to remain as the beneficiary of the property and agree to have the City of Woburn, Town of Burlington and a descendant of the Cummings family as co-trustees to see to it that the terms of the trust are fulfilled.
This is really no different than the Marshall Simonds trust that Burlington is familar with. Would anybody in town allow Simonds Park and the common to be sold off by the Simond's trustees? How on earth could we idly stand by and allow Boston to loot Mrs. Cummings?
The interview was remarkable in that it apparently spelled out what Boston's strategy will be in attempting to negotiate a liquidation of the Cummings Trust property and then Boston applying the funds to some other use in Boston such as the construction and up keep of the Rose Kennedy Greenway.
Boston's strategy, according to Mr. Conley would be to negotiate with Burlington and Woburn and would involve as I see it an attempted municipal bribe by offering to donate 12 acres to Burlington as an inducement for Burlington to look the other way while Boston violates every trust law known to mankind. Conley went on to say that if the municipalities could not come to an amicable agreement then "the city could go to court and try to break the trust."
Well it is obvious that Mr. Conley and the City of Boston are operating under the assumption that Burlington and Woburn can some how be bullied into an action that is in complete contrast to what is in both communities and the commonwealth's best interest not to mention what is in complete contravention of Mrs. Cummings express wishes in her will and trust law.
Boston is operating under the mistaken impression that they should be rewarded for 80 years of breach of trust. Boston was left the property with specific instructions as to what the property was to be used for as well as what the additional cash assets were to be dedicated for. The specific language was to "keep the property open forever as a public pleasure ground". Let's re-iterate that point, not any other property, not the Rose Kennedy Greenway, not anywhere else but THIS specific property.
In the Burlington Union interview Mr. Conley states the obvious, in that Boston has not met any terms of the trust for "decades", and apparently has no intention of doing so. Mr. Conley also acknowledges that the trust has over $400,000 that he says came from stock that was liquidated in accordance with instructions in the will. Mr. Conley is incorrect in this assertion since the will specifically states that the income from the stock in the trust should go to the maintenance and upkeep of the property. There is no mention of the word liquidation any where in the will document.
Now that Boston has shown its hand what is left for the Cummings family and the City of Woburn and the Town of Burlington to do? One noted attorney in town suggested to me that we should be careful not to piss off Boston because they would sell the property and we could end up with nothing! Oh really? Despite the fact that we have an attorney general who wants to be governor and might look the other way on this if it meant some votes in Boston and despite the fact that Boston has a large delegation in the Massachusetts House of Representatives, this over all question inevitably will be decided in the courts and not in either of the other two places.
The facts of the matter are pretty clear and they point to the unavoidable fact that Boston and the trustees of the Mary Cummings Trust (who ever they are) are clearly in breach of their fiduciary responsibility to Mrs. Cummings. The operative word here is TRUST. Mrs. Cummings TRUSTED Boston and the named trustees to fulfill her instructions in the will. Those instructions were specific in every way. No where in the will did it say to sell her property for the benefit of some other person's legacy. No where in the will does it say that Boston should benefit financially from the assets of the trust. In fact no where does it say that the residents of Boston should benefit from the property as a public pleasure ground. It only states specifically that this specific property be kept "open forever".
So what is the remedy for the potential plaintiffs against Boston?
Well apparently a plaintiff can rely on res ipsa loquitur. What this means is that the act speaks for itself and needs no other information to determine negligence. This certainly could apply to the trustees 80 year record of negligence in fulfilling the terms of the trust. According to search conducted on the web, "for breach of duty, it must be decided whether or not the defendant, the one being accused of negligence, behaved in a way that a reasonable person would have under similar circumstances." The Cummings Trustees failure is obvious since a descendant of Mrs. Cummings, Mr. Warren Cummings himself will tell you that in his long life the trustees have accomplished virtually nothing of Mrs. Cummings instructions. Take a walk on the property and res ipsa loquitor would come to mind.
An ugly battle could be avoided in all of this if Boston comes to its senses. This property is not an asset of Boston's to be used as a source of income. This is a liability for Boston since it requires Boston to fulfill its responsibilities.
The best course of action is for Boston to remain as the beneficiary of the property and agree to have the City of Woburn, Town of Burlington and a descendant of the Cummings family as co-trustees to see to it that the terms of the trust are fulfilled.
This is really no different than the Marshall Simonds trust that Burlington is familar with. Would anybody in town allow Simonds Park and the common to be sold off by the Simond's trustees? How on earth could we idly stand by and allow Boston to loot Mrs. Cummings?
Friday, September 16, 2005
Plenty of Worries
Back on June 15 I wrote a piece entitled "No worries" over the fact that the Sox were defending champs but 3 games out of first place against the Orioles. That turned out somewhat prophetic as shortly there after that the Sox went on a tear and the Orioles tumbled and are now 16 games out of first place.
It was written while still basking in the glow of last year's dramatic come from behind win against the Yankees in the league championship and then the dismantling of the Cardinals in the World Series.
Well here we are nearing the end of the season with 16 games to go and after going into the old ball yard last night to see the Sox against the Oakland A's I can tell you there is a whole lot to be worried about. While the Sox still maintain a game and a half lead over the Yankees it would only be described as a tenuos lead at best. In fact based on the club I saw last night it would not surprise me that by the end of the week end the Sox are trailing the Yankees.
Right out of the box Curt Schilling got whacked around giving up 3 runs in the first two innings. He looked eminently hittable as he didn't break 90 mph on any of the pitches and they all seemed to be right over the heart of the plate.
In the mean time Blanton for the A's looked like the second coming of Cy Young holding the listless Sox to 3 hits until late in the game. The Sox did manage to break through with a run in the 6th inning to make it a two run deficit but Oakland quickly put any come from behind victory ideas a thing of the past by capitalizing on continued horrible fielding by Edgar Renteria and questionable managing by Terry Francona. Renteria dropped back into short centerfield to take a pop fly ball over his shoulder, however the ball hit directly in the middle of his glove and dropped to the ground. A very generous scorer ruled it a hit. Schilling now gets a little rattled as the home plate umpire blows three close calls in a row and walks Eric Chavez. Of course, former Red Sox malcontent Jay Payton then drives home a run with a hit. Mike Myers relieved an angry Schilling and got the final out of the inning.
The Sox showed resilience and bounced back to get another run to again cut the deficit to 2 in the bottom of the seventh but Oakland immediately scored 2 in the top of the eighth to put it away.
Myers started the eighth to pitch against a lefty and he gets Dan Johnson on a strike out but for some reason Francona leaves the lefty in to pitch to right hand hitting Nick Swisher who after going down 0 and 2 then whacks a double. Chad Bradford came in to relieve and promptly allowed two hits to account for the final score.
While this was going on the Yankees rallied from five runs down to defeat Tampa. One can only think that Lou Pinella is thinking he has a shot to replace Joe Torre up in New York. With a five run lead Lou keeps his pitcher in to allow a grand slam and then a few more runs before he even warms some one up in the pen. Maybe he thinks George might appreciate the help.
Witnessing one bad game should not strike fear in my heart except that the team up close simply does not look that interested. Renteria is very shaky at short and is now leading the league in errors. With the exception of Bill Mueller and David Ortiz, everyone else seems to be slumping at the same time.
The bull pen is positively scary. Timlin has been effective but can he be the big time closer in crunch time? Keith Foulke is not going to be making any miraculous come back soon and if we are relying on rookies Jonathan Papelbon or Craig Hansen to make an impact then we are dreaming.
The schedule seems to favor us as we have ten of the 16 remaining games at home facing the A's, Orioles Devil Rays and three with the Yankees. The Yankees have 17 left of which 10 are on the road playing Baltimore 8 times Toronto 6 times and finishing with the Sox in the final three game of the season in Boston.
The season will almost certainly boil down to the deciding three games in Boston. Could it have happened any other way? Would you want it to?
It was written while still basking in the glow of last year's dramatic come from behind win against the Yankees in the league championship and then the dismantling of the Cardinals in the World Series.
Well here we are nearing the end of the season with 16 games to go and after going into the old ball yard last night to see the Sox against the Oakland A's I can tell you there is a whole lot to be worried about. While the Sox still maintain a game and a half lead over the Yankees it would only be described as a tenuos lead at best. In fact based on the club I saw last night it would not surprise me that by the end of the week end the Sox are trailing the Yankees.
Right out of the box Curt Schilling got whacked around giving up 3 runs in the first two innings. He looked eminently hittable as he didn't break 90 mph on any of the pitches and they all seemed to be right over the heart of the plate.
In the mean time Blanton for the A's looked like the second coming of Cy Young holding the listless Sox to 3 hits until late in the game. The Sox did manage to break through with a run in the 6th inning to make it a two run deficit but Oakland quickly put any come from behind victory ideas a thing of the past by capitalizing on continued horrible fielding by Edgar Renteria and questionable managing by Terry Francona. Renteria dropped back into short centerfield to take a pop fly ball over his shoulder, however the ball hit directly in the middle of his glove and dropped to the ground. A very generous scorer ruled it a hit. Schilling now gets a little rattled as the home plate umpire blows three close calls in a row and walks Eric Chavez. Of course, former Red Sox malcontent Jay Payton then drives home a run with a hit. Mike Myers relieved an angry Schilling and got the final out of the inning.
The Sox showed resilience and bounced back to get another run to again cut the deficit to 2 in the bottom of the seventh but Oakland immediately scored 2 in the top of the eighth to put it away.
Myers started the eighth to pitch against a lefty and he gets Dan Johnson on a strike out but for some reason Francona leaves the lefty in to pitch to right hand hitting Nick Swisher who after going down 0 and 2 then whacks a double. Chad Bradford came in to relieve and promptly allowed two hits to account for the final score.
While this was going on the Yankees rallied from five runs down to defeat Tampa. One can only think that Lou Pinella is thinking he has a shot to replace Joe Torre up in New York. With a five run lead Lou keeps his pitcher in to allow a grand slam and then a few more runs before he even warms some one up in the pen. Maybe he thinks George might appreciate the help.
Witnessing one bad game should not strike fear in my heart except that the team up close simply does not look that interested. Renteria is very shaky at short and is now leading the league in errors. With the exception of Bill Mueller and David Ortiz, everyone else seems to be slumping at the same time.
The bull pen is positively scary. Timlin has been effective but can he be the big time closer in crunch time? Keith Foulke is not going to be making any miraculous come back soon and if we are relying on rookies Jonathan Papelbon or Craig Hansen to make an impact then we are dreaming.
The schedule seems to favor us as we have ten of the 16 remaining games at home facing the A's, Orioles Devil Rays and three with the Yankees. The Yankees have 17 left of which 10 are on the road playing Baltimore 8 times Toronto 6 times and finishing with the Sox in the final three game of the season in Boston.
The season will almost certainly boil down to the deciding three games in Boston. Could it have happened any other way? Would you want it to?
Sunday, September 11, 2005
Truth for our own sake
January 17, of 2006 will be Benjamin Franklin’s 300th birthday. Judging from what has been going on in our world it is to bad the old fellow isn’t still with us.
As the weeks go by we will see more and more stories about Franklin’s numerous accomplishments in the fields of science, diplomacy, revolution, publishing, philosophy, and so many individual accomplishments to numerous to mention here. He may in fact be the single most accomplished human being in American history.
For the moment let's focus on just one very small area of Ben's expertise and that is thinking. Ben called it ‘right thinking” and its basic premise was that in all cases what you think on any issue comes as a result of input from your own little world and there fore any conclusions you might reach would undoubtedly be wrong. Franklin’s opinion was that given the amount of information in the world, a man was far more likely to be ignorant of, rather than have a great deal of knowledge or wisdom about an issue. With this in mind it was paramount that he assembled facts before he drew any conclusions on any issue in his life. If nothing else, the pursuit of truth is what permeates every aspect of the monumental achievements in Franklin’s life.
This commitment to truth is evident in one of his conditions for entering his “Junto”. The Junto was a group of his contemporaries who met regularly to philosophize and to contemplate issues of their day. The primary question he asked of the would be participants was this “Do you love truth for truth’s sake, and will you endeavor impartially to find and receive it yourself, and communicate it to others?
One can only assume that against this back-drop of critical thinking skills, Franklin would be horrified by what has been going on at every level of contemporary thought regarding the Hurricane Katrina disaster. Not only have the people of Louisiana and Mississippi been victimized by this enormous natural disaster but so to has truth been victimized in any attempt by newspapers, television and politicians to seek the truth for truth’s sake.
For those of us who are far removed from the disaster itself it appears that during the first 8 or 9 days of the event, not many words that were uttered by media, self appointed luminaries or public officials was clear unvarnished truth other than that Katrina was a hurricane. Every report or commentary seemed to be first jaded by the deliverer’s self-interest.
The news media, the opposing political parties, the race baiters, local government versus national government, global warmers, anti war activists and Jihadists all expressed opinions that exploited the disaster in a way that would somehow seem to mesh with their particular agenda. Some of the opinion bordered on absurd. One would be critic, activist Randall Robinson had black victims of the disaster resorting to cannibalism. A comment repeated nationally with not a single shred of credible evidence.
Others said 25,000 would be dead, the national government was slow to respond, the local government was incompetent, President Bush hates black people, only black people were looters, New Orleans cops deserted from their duties. The list seems to go on and on.
There are truths that we can extract from some of these things. When reporters report they might have a Pulitzer Prize in the back of their minds, when television reports they might be mindful of their ratings. When a politician speaks they may first think how it will position them in the quest for their next big campaign. When Jesse Jackson or Al Sharpton show up you can be sure they won’t be bringing any help but will be exploiting the situation based on a racially motivated charge. President Bush does not hate black people but you can be sure that the New York Times hates him.
If Ben were here and had an opportunity to assess the facts and consider the geographical enormity of this disaster he might conclude that the truth is that there were many deaths, extreme victim trauma and displacement. There were failures galore of public institutions.
He might also conclude that the truth is that the degree in which things did work resulted in the saving of a great many lives and averted a human disaster of biblical proportions. He would however be disgusted with people, in whom we have trust, have so little regard for the truth.
http://www.americanthinker.com/articles.php?article_id=4823
As the weeks go by we will see more and more stories about Franklin’s numerous accomplishments in the fields of science, diplomacy, revolution, publishing, philosophy, and so many individual accomplishments to numerous to mention here. He may in fact be the single most accomplished human being in American history.
For the moment let's focus on just one very small area of Ben's expertise and that is thinking. Ben called it ‘right thinking” and its basic premise was that in all cases what you think on any issue comes as a result of input from your own little world and there fore any conclusions you might reach would undoubtedly be wrong. Franklin’s opinion was that given the amount of information in the world, a man was far more likely to be ignorant of, rather than have a great deal of knowledge or wisdom about an issue. With this in mind it was paramount that he assembled facts before he drew any conclusions on any issue in his life. If nothing else, the pursuit of truth is what permeates every aspect of the monumental achievements in Franklin’s life.
This commitment to truth is evident in one of his conditions for entering his “Junto”. The Junto was a group of his contemporaries who met regularly to philosophize and to contemplate issues of their day. The primary question he asked of the would be participants was this “Do you love truth for truth’s sake, and will you endeavor impartially to find and receive it yourself, and communicate it to others?
One can only assume that against this back-drop of critical thinking skills, Franklin would be horrified by what has been going on at every level of contemporary thought regarding the Hurricane Katrina disaster. Not only have the people of Louisiana and Mississippi been victimized by this enormous natural disaster but so to has truth been victimized in any attempt by newspapers, television and politicians to seek the truth for truth’s sake.
For those of us who are far removed from the disaster itself it appears that during the first 8 or 9 days of the event, not many words that were uttered by media, self appointed luminaries or public officials was clear unvarnished truth other than that Katrina was a hurricane. Every report or commentary seemed to be first jaded by the deliverer’s self-interest.
The news media, the opposing political parties, the race baiters, local government versus national government, global warmers, anti war activists and Jihadists all expressed opinions that exploited the disaster in a way that would somehow seem to mesh with their particular agenda. Some of the opinion bordered on absurd. One would be critic, activist Randall Robinson had black victims of the disaster resorting to cannibalism. A comment repeated nationally with not a single shred of credible evidence.
Others said 25,000 would be dead, the national government was slow to respond, the local government was incompetent, President Bush hates black people, only black people were looters, New Orleans cops deserted from their duties. The list seems to go on and on.
There are truths that we can extract from some of these things. When reporters report they might have a Pulitzer Prize in the back of their minds, when television reports they might be mindful of their ratings. When a politician speaks they may first think how it will position them in the quest for their next big campaign. When Jesse Jackson or Al Sharpton show up you can be sure they won’t be bringing any help but will be exploiting the situation based on a racially motivated charge. President Bush does not hate black people but you can be sure that the New York Times hates him.
If Ben were here and had an opportunity to assess the facts and consider the geographical enormity of this disaster he might conclude that the truth is that there were many deaths, extreme victim trauma and displacement. There were failures galore of public institutions.
He might also conclude that the truth is that the degree in which things did work resulted in the saving of a great many lives and averted a human disaster of biblical proportions. He would however be disgusted with people, in whom we have trust, have so little regard for the truth.
http://www.americanthinker.com/articles.php?article_id=4823
Sunday, September 04, 2005
A viewers guide to Town Meeting.
On February 28, 1799 the Great and General Court of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts incorporated the Second Parish of Woburn as a district town by the name of Burlington. Today Burlington, Massachusetts is governed by a compilation of Special Acts of the legislature; State laws and local bylaws, all of which combined, have the force of a charter.
That charter combines to form the basic unit of local government, which in New England is commonly known, as the town. The distinctive characteristic of town government is the town meeting in which are vested the traditional powers of the legislative branch, the power to make laws and the power of the purse. Better known as budgetary approval.
The traditional New England Town Meeting is open to all registered voters of a town. As towns grow bigger in population it is not uncommon for the voters to adopt a modified form called representative town meeting. Burlington did just that on August 4 1970 by an act of the Massachusetts Legislature. The voters of Burlington in a townwide referendum subsequently ratified this action on March 6, 1971.
The Burlington town meeting is a continuous one. The Main meeting is held in May and includes the budget for the next fiscal year as well as the primary issues facing the community. Additional meetings are held 120 days apart in September and January. The fall and winter meetings are held to address any issues, which may have presented them selves and cannot wait for the annual meeting.
The principal player in town meeting is the town meeting member. In Burlington there are 108 town meeting members with 18 coming from each of 6 separate precincts. The process of becoming a town meeting member is a relatively simple one. A candidate shall be nominated by submitting to the town clerk a nomination paper which is signed by a minimum of ten registered voters from the precinct in which he or she is a candidate. Those papers must be submitted 28 days in advance of the town wide election. Once elected the member serves a term of three years.
With our members now elected and seated in the center section of Fogelberg Auditorium we now are ready to introduce the rest of the major players as well as taking a look at the process of passing legislation.
The first group of participants is those who are part of the actual meeting process and either contribute to its operation or advise town meeting on its business. The next group is those who come before the town meeting requesting that the meeting take action on its legislation.
After the town meeting member the next most important character in the operation is the moderator. The moderator is the presiding officer at all sessions of town meeting. The moderator's primary function is to guide both the debate and the flow legislation. He guides the debate by recognition of those who will participate as proponents or opponents of each article, which is brought before the membership. He guides the flow of legislation by making sure the articles conform to accepted practices within the state and local laws.
In addition to duties as presiding officer, the moderator is the primary appointing officer of the committees both standing and special that report to the town meeting in an advisor role.
Next is the town clerk. The clerk principle duties are as the keeper of the public record. Any actions of law or appropriation, which are taken by town meeting, are recorded and reported in the Town's annual report by the clerk. The clerk may report or record other matters of law to the appropriate authority such as the Attorney general. In addition the clerk records attendance at the meeting in order to be able to declare a quorum. A quorum or attendance of 55 members is required in order for the town meeting to conduct business. Should attendance fall below that number and a call of the roll is requested the meeting must adjourn without quorum and no legislation may be adopted. Any votes of town meeting, which are roll call votes, are conducted and recorded by the clerk.
Joining the moderator and the town clerk at the podium is town counsel. Town counsel's primary function at town meeting is to review the warrant as to legal form as well as render opinions which on legal issues that may come up from time to time at the meeting. Counsel is obligated to attend the first session of the meeting.
Town meeting follows a very specific agenda, which is called the warrant. The warrant is the printed document, which includes all the articles, or items that the town meeting will take up for action during its session. The warrant serves as a warning to voters of the town that items printed may be dealt with generally or specifically. The warrant is open for placement of issues by any elected board as well as any town meeting member. The moderator may rule discussions, which are brought up at town meeting, which are not germane to a particular article, out of order. These items however may be taken up at the end of the meeting in the form of a non-binding resolution.
The next group of participants who play an integral part of the meeting are the standing and special committees. Appointed by tmoderatortor these committees primary function is to examine in detail information that proponents and opponents may present relative to general bylaws, zoning bylaws, capital expenditures, rules, land use, town facilities, and the operating budgets. Those reports are delivered to the town meeting as each item is introduced for deliberation.
In addition to standing committees, from time to time the town meeting may authorize the moderator to appoint special committees to take up specific issues, which may require additional study. Examples of such committees might be a school building study committee or the town wide growth advisory committee. These appointments generally expire after the committee has delivered its report to the town meeting.
The primary financial committee is the Ways and Means committee. This is a fifteen-member panel, which reviews the annual budget, as well as any article, which has a monetary impact on the town. All standing and special committees are advisor in nature, must be made up of a majority of town meeting members and report their results to the meeting directly.
Now that our meeting is complete with its members and advisors letÂ’s take a look at who comes before the meeting for action.
The annual meeting includes the adoption of the next fiscal years budget. The budget includes all the expenditures of all town departments and in its deliberations the town meeting requires that all appointing authorities and department heads make themselves available to appear at town meeting for the presentation of their budget.
The creation of the budget is a several months long process and generally includes the following steps.
The department heads creates their budgets, submits it to the appointing authority for review and changes. After adoption by the appointing authority it is next sent on to the Ways and Means Committee for its review.
The completed document is then printed and submitted in the form of one article, which is now ready for town meeting. The moderator introduces the article, the Ways and Means gives its recommendation and one by one each department head and appointing authority stands before town meeting to request adoption of their budgets.
The primary players in this process are the Board of Selectmen and the School Committee as together these to executive boards represent the largest expenditures in the town's budget. However there are other autonomous boards that hold executive authority over their departments. Those boards include the following. Planning Board, Board of Health, Recreation Commission, Library trustees and Board of Assessors.
The warrant is general broken down into sections which include the budget, capital items, general bylaws and zoning bylaws. In each case a very orderly process much like the budget process is followed prior to the legislation arriving at town meeting.
Any expenditure, which is not considered and annual budget item and exceeds a specific amount, is called a capital item. Those proposed expenditures are printed as an article individually and go through a submission by the department head to the particular supervisory authority. After the appropriate board votes it, it is then sent on to the Capital Budget committee and Ways and Means for review and a recommendation. When the moderator introduces the article, each committee presents its recommendation to the meeting members and then the authority presents its reasons as to why the capital expenditure is necessary.
The moderator's job is to control the debate according to Robert's Rules of Order, which is a well-recognized method of orderly procedure. After the initial presentation by the committees and the proponent of the measure any speaker wishing to be recognized need only raise their hand to be included in the debate.
Under normal circumstances the debate is quite straight forward. The article is discussed and when all sides are heard from the moderator will conduct a vote. Most votes at town meeting are conducted having the member's stand and the moderator visually determining the results. When the vote is to close for the moderator to call he may request counters to assist him in the tally. If the vote is of significant import or if the membership disagrees with the tally, seven members may raise their hands and request a roll call vote. In this case the clerk will call the names of each individual member and record their vote.
All votes at town meeting are by majority with several exceptions. Rezoning, bonding, land sales or eminent domain, as well as votes to terminate debate all require a two-thirds majority. On occasion a vote to reconsider an already defeated article may be introduced. This vote also requires a two-thirds vote and usually requires an argument that new information on the subject needs to be presented.
In closing let's look at hypothetical warrant article. Article number 14, which is a request for $200,000 for a fire truck.
1. The moderator will read the following language from the printed motion. It is moved and seconded by the capital budget committee to raise and appropriate $200,000 for the purpose of acquiring a new fire truck. Same to be spent under the direction of the Board of Selectmen.
2. The moderator will then introduce the Capital Budget committee chairmen who will give the committee recommendation. Next he will recognize the ways and means for their opinion.
3. After the committee recommendations the Moderator will recognize the Town administrator who as proponent of the article will now give the specific reasons as to why the article in question should pass.
4. Next is the debate from the floor. This is the opportunity for any member that wishes to make a case for or against the article.
The town clerk records the subsequent vote and if it is affirmative the supervising authority is now authorized to spend the money.
That charter combines to form the basic unit of local government, which in New England is commonly known, as the town. The distinctive characteristic of town government is the town meeting in which are vested the traditional powers of the legislative branch, the power to make laws and the power of the purse. Better known as budgetary approval.
The traditional New England Town Meeting is open to all registered voters of a town. As towns grow bigger in population it is not uncommon for the voters to adopt a modified form called representative town meeting. Burlington did just that on August 4 1970 by an act of the Massachusetts Legislature. The voters of Burlington in a townwide referendum subsequently ratified this action on March 6, 1971.
The Burlington town meeting is a continuous one. The Main meeting is held in May and includes the budget for the next fiscal year as well as the primary issues facing the community. Additional meetings are held 120 days apart in September and January. The fall and winter meetings are held to address any issues, which may have presented them selves and cannot wait for the annual meeting.
The principal player in town meeting is the town meeting member. In Burlington there are 108 town meeting members with 18 coming from each of 6 separate precincts. The process of becoming a town meeting member is a relatively simple one. A candidate shall be nominated by submitting to the town clerk a nomination paper which is signed by a minimum of ten registered voters from the precinct in which he or she is a candidate. Those papers must be submitted 28 days in advance of the town wide election. Once elected the member serves a term of three years.
With our members now elected and seated in the center section of Fogelberg Auditorium we now are ready to introduce the rest of the major players as well as taking a look at the process of passing legislation.
The first group of participants is those who are part of the actual meeting process and either contribute to its operation or advise town meeting on its business. The next group is those who come before the town meeting requesting that the meeting take action on its legislation.
After the town meeting member the next most important character in the operation is the moderator. The moderator is the presiding officer at all sessions of town meeting. The moderator's primary function is to guide both the debate and the flow legislation. He guides the debate by recognition of those who will participate as proponents or opponents of each article, which is brought before the membership. He guides the flow of legislation by making sure the articles conform to accepted practices within the state and local laws.
In addition to duties as presiding officer, the moderator is the primary appointing officer of the committees both standing and special that report to the town meeting in an advisor role.
Next is the town clerk. The clerk principle duties are as the keeper of the public record. Any actions of law or appropriation, which are taken by town meeting, are recorded and reported in the Town's annual report by the clerk. The clerk may report or record other matters of law to the appropriate authority such as the Attorney general. In addition the clerk records attendance at the meeting in order to be able to declare a quorum. A quorum or attendance of 55 members is required in order for the town meeting to conduct business. Should attendance fall below that number and a call of the roll is requested the meeting must adjourn without quorum and no legislation may be adopted. Any votes of town meeting, which are roll call votes, are conducted and recorded by the clerk.
Joining the moderator and the town clerk at the podium is town counsel. Town counsel's primary function at town meeting is to review the warrant as to legal form as well as render opinions which on legal issues that may come up from time to time at the meeting. Counsel is obligated to attend the first session of the meeting.
Town meeting follows a very specific agenda, which is called the warrant. The warrant is the printed document, which includes all the articles, or items that the town meeting will take up for action during its session. The warrant serves as a warning to voters of the town that items printed may be dealt with generally or specifically. The warrant is open for placement of issues by any elected board as well as any town meeting member. The moderator may rule discussions, which are brought up at town meeting, which are not germane to a particular article, out of order. These items however may be taken up at the end of the meeting in the form of a non-binding resolution.
The next group of participants who play an integral part of the meeting are the standing and special committees. Appointed by tmoderatortor these committees primary function is to examine in detail information that proponents and opponents may present relative to general bylaws, zoning bylaws, capital expenditures, rules, land use, town facilities, and the operating budgets. Those reports are delivered to the town meeting as each item is introduced for deliberation.
In addition to standing committees, from time to time the town meeting may authorize the moderator to appoint special committees to take up specific issues, which may require additional study. Examples of such committees might be a school building study committee or the town wide growth advisory committee. These appointments generally expire after the committee has delivered its report to the town meeting.
The primary financial committee is the Ways and Means committee. This is a fifteen-member panel, which reviews the annual budget, as well as any article, which has a monetary impact on the town. All standing and special committees are advisor in nature, must be made up of a majority of town meeting members and report their results to the meeting directly.
Now that our meeting is complete with its members and advisors letÂ’s take a look at who comes before the meeting for action.
The annual meeting includes the adoption of the next fiscal years budget. The budget includes all the expenditures of all town departments and in its deliberations the town meeting requires that all appointing authorities and department heads make themselves available to appear at town meeting for the presentation of their budget.
The creation of the budget is a several months long process and generally includes the following steps.
The department heads creates their budgets, submits it to the appointing authority for review and changes. After adoption by the appointing authority it is next sent on to the Ways and Means Committee for its review.
The completed document is then printed and submitted in the form of one article, which is now ready for town meeting. The moderator introduces the article, the Ways and Means gives its recommendation and one by one each department head and appointing authority stands before town meeting to request adoption of their budgets.
The primary players in this process are the Board of Selectmen and the School Committee as together these to executive boards represent the largest expenditures in the town's budget. However there are other autonomous boards that hold executive authority over their departments. Those boards include the following. Planning Board, Board of Health, Recreation Commission, Library trustees and Board of Assessors.
The warrant is general broken down into sections which include the budget, capital items, general bylaws and zoning bylaws. In each case a very orderly process much like the budget process is followed prior to the legislation arriving at town meeting.
Any expenditure, which is not considered and annual budget item and exceeds a specific amount, is called a capital item. Those proposed expenditures are printed as an article individually and go through a submission by the department head to the particular supervisory authority. After the appropriate board votes it, it is then sent on to the Capital Budget committee and Ways and Means for review and a recommendation. When the moderator introduces the article, each committee presents its recommendation to the meeting members and then the authority presents its reasons as to why the capital expenditure is necessary.
The moderator's job is to control the debate according to Robert's Rules of Order, which is a well-recognized method of orderly procedure. After the initial presentation by the committees and the proponent of the measure any speaker wishing to be recognized need only raise their hand to be included in the debate.
Under normal circumstances the debate is quite straight forward. The article is discussed and when all sides are heard from the moderator will conduct a vote. Most votes at town meeting are conducted having the member's stand and the moderator visually determining the results. When the vote is to close for the moderator to call he may request counters to assist him in the tally. If the vote is of significant import or if the membership disagrees with the tally, seven members may raise their hands and request a roll call vote. In this case the clerk will call the names of each individual member and record their vote.
All votes at town meeting are by majority with several exceptions. Rezoning, bonding, land sales or eminent domain, as well as votes to terminate debate all require a two-thirds majority. On occasion a vote to reconsider an already defeated article may be introduced. This vote also requires a two-thirds vote and usually requires an argument that new information on the subject needs to be presented.
In closing let's look at hypothetical warrant article. Article number 14, which is a request for $200,000 for a fire truck.
1. The moderator will read the following language from the printed motion. It is moved and seconded by the capital budget committee to raise and appropriate $200,000 for the purpose of acquiring a new fire truck. Same to be spent under the direction of the Board of Selectmen.
2. The moderator will then introduce the Capital Budget committee chairmen who will give the committee recommendation. Next he will recognize the ways and means for their opinion.
3. After the committee recommendations the Moderator will recognize the Town administrator who as proponent of the article will now give the specific reasons as to why the article in question should pass.
4. Next is the debate from the floor. This is the opportunity for any member that wishes to make a case for or against the article.
The town clerk records the subsequent vote and if it is affirmative the supervising authority is now authorized to spend the money.
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