Ah, These Golden Years

I'm beginning to think I've enough material on hand to do a Jeff Foxworthy type routine, 'You know you're getting old when...'.

So far my visits to various medical types has come in spurts.  I'm hoping it's my imagination that the spurts are coming more often.  For instance I just had a visit with a hypnotherapist. Today I spent a couple of hours with a plastic surgeon having a basel cell carcinoma removed. Tomorrow I have acupuncture.  Next Monday I have a follow up with the plastic surgeon then I have to make another appointment with the hypnotherapist.

 In between I'm supposed to maintain some sort of life.  At least the yard work is done.  Until the snow falls and the shovelling begins. Then the holidays are just around the corner.  I'm cooking Thanksgiving dinner this year.  Christmas decorating begins right after.  At least I keep moving which is the name of the game.  I do feel, though, that the gold in golden is lining other pockets more and more!

Actually I enjoyed today's visit.  The doctor is a very pleasant young man.  With just enough gray in his hair to give him credibility with me.  Had it not been there I'd have thought he was about eighteen.

He, his nurse and I chatted about a lot of things.  A little bit of politics but I quickly decided that probably wasn't the best topic in these heated times with someone digging into my face with a scalpel!  We hit common ground with our interest and taste in fine wines, how he loved martinis but they didn't love him and how much my capacity has dwindled.

Then the conversation turned to age related problems.  He had early on apologized for having to answer his cell and said how he wished he could get away from all the electronic gadgets that overwhelm his daily routine.  He said he understood why his mother was becoming more and more reclusive, enjoying her own space her own way.  I agreed and mentioned how the next step would be morphing into her.

Then the kicker.  "My Mom," he said, "was born in forty one."  As if that were the explanation for her more and more bazaar behavior.  "Ha!" sez I.  "So was I!" He actually looked at my chart.  "Well, she has six months on you!"

His nurse chimed in saying, "You don't look seventy.  You look pretty good!"

If I hadn't been worrying about a slip of that oh so steady hand I would have fallen on the floor laughing.  Talk about a back handed compliment!  I look pretty good.  I'll accept that.  After all, I had on absolutely no make up nor had I done anything with my hair other than wash it.  I was looking far from pretty good in my eyes.

I guess because he got all the tumor on his first try, I looked pretty good and we both thought a martini would hit the spot at that point, the day was as about as golden as they get these days.  I'll take it.

Cain - Searching For A Shred Of Decency

Now that Gloria Allred has involved herself, how is any one's guess, any chance of the Herman Cain sexual harassment allegations ending with a note of decency has now disappeared.

We should all share some blame in this circus. One, for the many assumptions of guilt when the allegations were first made.  Anyone who deals in the real world knows that opportunists looking for a quick buck or to bring someone down can and will file a law suit about any number of things.  Sexual harassment being a favorite because it captures headlines and possibly a bigger payout.  That businesses pay these bribes, whether or not substantive, is a not uncommon practice.

Mr. Cain was ill served by his campaign advisers when told not to comment on them though he vehemently denied them. There was the looming questions as to just who are these women and where have they been over the years.  How opportune.  More money?  A book deal?

On the other hand Mr. Cain owes his supporters an explanation.  Even though there was an agreement with the National Restaurant Association to not discuss the complaints, I wonder if they could have been made public without identifying the complainant.  Then we could all have decided for ourselves whether the complaint was worthy or frivolous.

That opportunity has passed by now that number four has come out with the help of Ms. Allred. It couldn't get any more salacious.  And where has she been?  She said she didn't file a complaint because she wasn't an employee of the NRA.  Nonsense!  Had a man done to me what she accused Mr. Cain of doing I'd have filed police charges against him, I'd have gone to the NRA and any and everybody else who would have listened.  Right then.  Not ten years later with a sensation seeking attorney who appeared out of the woodwork.

The damage now seems insurmountable.  I'm not convinced of anything at this point.  That Mr. Cain might have made some gesture or comment deemed inappropriate may well be. That he didn't see it that way may also well be. That it rose to the level of sexual harassment  to the degree that has been claimed is something we do not know unless or until the actual complaints are made public.

But the seed has been planted, cultivated and has thrived.  Even if it is pulled up by it's roots, some remnant will remain.  The only to kill it off would be for him to drop out of the race.  He has been striped of his dignity.  The campaign is in turmoil because this rather than what really matters owns the air waves.

It's human behavior at it's lowest ebb.  If it was politically motivated it's sick.

I don't think, when push came to shove, that Mr. Cain would have gotten the nomination.  He has too many areas in which he lacks sufficient knowledge and experience.  Remember how wildly popular Sarah Palin was but how may people didn't vote for McCain because she was such a light weight?  And she was only running for Vice President.

If Herman Cain is guilty as accused, he doesn't deserve a pass.  If he is not, and we don't know, that he be taken down by the sleaze factor is about as disgusting as it gets.

By the way, thinking about justice being served, Lindsey Lohen left jail moments after reporting.  No room at the inn. Funny, if I remember correctly, she was proven guilty of her offenses!

What Exactly Is Sexual Harrassment These Days?

It seems to me the standards for sexual harassment are many and mixed.  We don't even know exactly what it is Herman Cain has done to raise such a hue and cry.  He made someone feel 'uncomfortable'.  What does that mean?

I think back to my younger days and how many guys I dated, or didn't, at whom I could aim such accusations by today's standards.  I guess because none of them ever came into the public eye I didn't bother.  I just avoided them. The thing that is bothersome is not knowing exactly what we're supposed to be so angry about.  Everything is skewed.  Plus it's his word against those who have lawyered themselves up.

I remember when the harassment movement first began.  A woman would walk past a construction site and if she were attractive she'd elicit wolf whistles and catcalls. That became politically incorrect so the guys would stand by silently, undressing her with their eyes.  They couldn't be sued for that.  If one is harassment isn't the other?

Granted we'd like our Presidential candidates to be a cut above but if you look deeply enough I doubt any of them would meet the pureness the media, for us, is demanding.  Why aren't they as tough on House and Senate candidates?  Where were these women when Cain ran for Senate?  Why did they give Kennedy a pass? And Clinton?  At least the women who claimed relations with Clinton came forward.

Considering the sexual mores in the world of athletics and entertainment and lower level politics, we certainly don't have a single standard.

Look at Hugh Grant.  Just yesterday I read he recently became a father for the first time.  You know him, the guy who got picked up in Hollywood a few years back for picking up a prostitute.  It seems a baby wasn't expected since he only had a 'fleeting' affair with the mother, but never-the-less he's delighted.

Then there is 17 year old Justin Bieber who is being accused of parenting a child with a nineteen year old.  He was sixteen at the time.  He claims he never met her.  She wants a paternity test.  If it proves true, she's in big trouble because she had sex with a minor!

I give credit to the people of Iowa who, if the reports are accurate, could care less about the harassment reports.  They feel Cain's 9-9-9 plan will help them.  At least they have their priorities straight.

Is it an issue of character?  Neither John McCain nor Newt Gingrich have treated their previous wives well yet neither have been pilloried about it during campaigns. Those actions are provable.

Is it race?  Or is it just plain dirty politics?

I haven't made up my mind about Mr. Cain.  My worry is whether or not we should place our trust in another rank amateur as President.  We have one in office now.  While I admire Mr. Cain's business accomplishments, his lack of political experience worries me.  The same criteria in reverse applies to many of the other candidates.

Whether I end up supporting him will depend on the balance of experience his experience and proposed policies versue everyone elses.  Not on hearsay and innuendo from invisible accusers hiding behind lawyers, all  looking for their fifteen minutes of fame ~ and a few dollars more.

Who The Heck Is Jub Jub McFadden?

Jub Jub McFadden.  The name kind of rolls off the tongue, doesn't it?  No?  Well, I guess it's in the mind of the beholder.  You see, he's the new man in my life.  Relatively new anyway. Actually there are two of them, the other being his Dad.

I've written before about how sometimes something special comes along through blogging and all that has accompanied it like You Tube.  Remember back when Bacchus was sick and I posted videos about his well being - or lack thereof?  I had just gotten my Flip video camera the Christmas before we knew he was so sick.  I never got to do all I had planned.  Videos of fun with my dog.

Fast forward maybe a year after he had left us.  I got an invitation to subscribe to the videos of one Beefstew.  Speaking of curious names!  Curiosity won and there I met Jub Jub.  A Saint Bernard puppy and his dad.  It was love at first sight.

I've a couple of other friends on Facebook with Saints though with one being Greek and the other Italian I miss out on the dialog. And of course there was Oly, the Saint belonging to our vet tech.  So it isn't as though I've been deprived of my Saint fix.

What I found, however, is this tremedous bond between a young man and his dog. I know most people love their dogs as much as I loved mine.  Most, however, don't show the relationship develop as has Stew with Jub Jub.  Every dog in the world should have a person like Stew.

It also drove home that raising a Saint Bernard is a joy  meant for people much younger than me!  The energy!  The adventures.  The laughter with dogs and cats and friends - and chipmunks!  It's hilarious, poignant and exhilerating.  The first thing I do when I open my e-mail is to look for a new You Tube announcement.

Now my vicarious world is complete.  Jub Jub has his own Facebook page! Both Jub Jub and his Dad have friended me. I'm thrilled.  I really am.  It makes me feel more a part of them.  It isn't the same as having my own living breathing furry friend, but it's as good as it gets as a substitute.  How can you not love a guy who stands with his dog, commenting on the Occupy Wall Street movement with a sign saying 'I am so angry I made a sign'.  It may not hit everyone's funny bone but it hit mine spot on!  The man is flat out my kind of people!

Without social media none of this would have happened.  It can't replace reality nor should it, but if it can fill an empty place in my heart it can't be all bad.

So to Jub Jub and Stew and everyone around you that join to warm my little corner of the world.  Thanks.  Only one thing could make it better.  That someday our paths should cross. One never knows.

The Purple Finger Of Fate

The Arab Spring is evolving into the unexpected as winter approaches. Back when the Muslim Brotherhood raised it's head in Egypt, some like Sean Hannity, worried about what would happen if they took over the countries as elections were held.  Others, far more actually, assured us they were too unorganized to be of any consequence.

Well, strange things have been happening.  The Islamists are winning.  Of course, being Islamist countries some form of Islamism is going to win.  What's happening, though, is that the secular opposition is losing.  This has the potential of being dangerous.  Especially if there is a return to strict Shariah law.  Women's rights will be decimated.  Degrees of repression and radicalism will be the order of the day.  Yet this is what the people are voting for.

Why?  It's worth thinking about because we're going to have to deal with transforming governments for some time to come.  Consider just two of the countries, Egypt and Libya.  Both secular, both considered friends of the U.S.  Yet both were ruled by the most cruel and repressive of leaders.  What has secularism done for them?  Look, too, at Iran and Syria where the monsters are still in place.

So what do you do when suddenly free to choose what type of government you want?  You go back to your roots.  Islamism.  Not thinking about how restrictive and repressive it is by nature and in the end nothing will have been gained.

I think we're about to see a classic example of unintended consequences.  The struggle for freedom and economic stability may be lost as quickly as the current despots were run from power.  It's a frightening scenario.

It will be a time when diplomacy will require untold amounts of patience and prudence.  How long will it take for the Muslim world to recognize the answers lay in a moderate middle is any ones guess.  Meanwhile, all we can do is watch and wait.  It's likely not to be to be pretty.