Driving out of town for a weekend trip, OS and his bride had the local NPR affiliate on the car radio. In the neutral tone their news staff are known for, the local reporter calmly reported a shocking statistic: One person in six in Nashville/Davidson County, Tennessee, OS's hometown, are on the Food Stamp program.
1 divided by 6= 16.67 percent of a what has become a large city in the past twenty years or so.
Since there are entire swaths of the county where Food Stamps would almost certainly never be needed or used, that means there must be other swaths where their use is now commonplace.
It's to the point, says our reporter, that the State of Tennessee has hired some six hundred Food Stamp recipients to process the flood of Food Stamp applications. Of course, this full-time employment takes them off Food Stamps themselves, but their salaries are funded by federal 'stimulus' money. Which will run out. Then they'll go back on their Food Stamps...
Well, the claim can be made that 'jobs were created'. But missing in this 'job creation' is one simple fact: These six hundred people are providing a service, and are now employed, but their employment creates no wealth.
And we now have the expansion of a more-or-less permanent underclass in this great city. The social and political implications of having some 16-17% of a population directly dependent upon the government for their food are sobering to contemplate.
Since the early 70's the recessions have come in waves--busts and recoveries, but each recovery leaving more people behind in the ditch, more businesses closed, more productive work sent offshore.
No, Virginia, the Great Recession is not over.
Saturday, April 17, 2010
Friday, April 16, 2010
On The Road: Louisville, KY 15 April 2010
A quick 'there-and-back' visit for business meetings. It is such a delightful city, in so very many ways, with large quiet neighborhoods well-supplied with locally-owned restaurants.
OS and his bride rewarded themselves with dinner at Molly Malone's, on Baxter Avenue in the Irish Hill neighborhood. The potato-leek soup is heavenly, the shepherd's pie just yummy, the service always cheerful.
We had just made the trip to the post office to drop the Tax Document into the box held by the cheerful Postal Service employee in the parking lot, and Molly's was close by, so...why not? With the three-hour drive ahead, we couldn't drink, but could take in the jolly atmosphere.
It was packed, at least all the outdoor tables and the party deck. We opted for indoors, a/c, and quiet. The folks outside were uproariously loud, and very jolly. The banner had been hung over the deck--it was a gathering of accountants and employees sponsored by one of the CPA firms.
Post closing-time on 15 April, it was indeed time to blow off steam. Excellent HR move on someone's part. Hangovers and absences this morning won't mean diddly, anyway. Hopefully, days off were granted. The nation's supply of Jameson whiskey took a serious hit last night. OS thinks of whiskey as the principal reason God created corn, and Kentucky is a place that understands the Theology of Corn.
Three quiet cheers for a humane employer, and a gracious city.
Back on the road today.
OS and his bride rewarded themselves with dinner at Molly Malone's, on Baxter Avenue in the Irish Hill neighborhood. The potato-leek soup is heavenly, the shepherd's pie just yummy, the service always cheerful.
We had just made the trip to the post office to drop the Tax Document into the box held by the cheerful Postal Service employee in the parking lot, and Molly's was close by, so...why not? With the three-hour drive ahead, we couldn't drink, but could take in the jolly atmosphere.
It was packed, at least all the outdoor tables and the party deck. We opted for indoors, a/c, and quiet. The folks outside were uproariously loud, and very jolly. The banner had been hung over the deck--it was a gathering of accountants and employees sponsored by one of the CPA firms.
Post closing-time on 15 April, it was indeed time to blow off steam. Excellent HR move on someone's part. Hangovers and absences this morning won't mean diddly, anyway. Hopefully, days off were granted. The nation's supply of Jameson whiskey took a serious hit last night. OS thinks of whiskey as the principal reason God created corn, and Kentucky is a place that understands the Theology of Corn.
Three quiet cheers for a humane employer, and a gracious city.
Back on the road today.
Wednesday, April 14, 2010
Henry Waxman Has Second Thoughts About His 'Invitation': The Impact Of ObamaCare On Business
Their Dream came true. ObamaCare became the LawOfTheLand one bright Sunday afternoon. Next day, a number of large corporations, the ones who create jobs and wealth, also complied with other federal law, and restated their projected earnings in light of ObamaCare. It was pretty distressing. Caterpillar projected a $100 million dollar hit, and firms like ATT projected dings of up to a billion dollars.
So Waxman and Stupak then went into Chicago Mode. It goes like this: Guys in suits walk into the place of business, and say, 'Dis here's a nice little business you got going here! It would be a crying SHAME (wouldn't it, Vito) if someone were to show up one night and BURN IT TO THE GROUND!! What you're gonna need to do is get yourself some fire insurance (right, Vito?). Yeah, fire insurance. Vito here, he'll be by to collect premiums every Friday afternoon. He don't like no late payments on premiums. Neither do I. It makes me UPSET!'
Well, Waxman and Stupak weren't quite that blatant, but they did send letters around to a lot of execs at a lot of firms, like the one they sent to the President of Verizon. The language was almost as charming as Gino and Vito back in the 'hood:
The Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations will hold a hearing on April 21, 2010 at 10:00 a.m. in Room 2123 of the Rayburn House Office Building to examine the impact of the new law on Verizon and other large employers. We request your personal testimony at this hearing.
To assist the Committee with its preparation for the hearing, we request that you provide the following documents from January 1,2009, through the present: (1) any analyses related to the projected impact of health care reform on Verizon; and (2) any documents, including e-mail messages, sent to or prepared or reviewed by senior company officials related to the projected impact of health care reform on Verizon. We also request an explanation of the accounting methods used by Verizon since 2003 to estimate the financial impact on your company of the 28% subsidy for retiree drug coverage and its deductibility or nondeductibility, including the accounting methods used in preparing the cost impact released by Verizon this week.
We ask that you provide the requested information by April 9, 2010. For purposes of this request, the term "senior company officials" includes all company officials at the level of Vice President and above for the company or any subsidiary. Attachments to this letter provide additional information about responding to Committee document requests and testifying before the Committee.
Youse guys need some FIRE INSURANCE, so you better 'SPLAIN YOURSELF!
Well, as the date approached, it dawned on our two intrepid Congressmen: What if the lawyers and accountants all showed up and made presentations that would enter the Congressional record that ObamaCare was a financial nightmare for business?
Word came down today that hearings were cancelled. Nothing rescheduled.
They'll be extorting some other way to be sure, just don't want to be caught doing it in the light of day.
That's not The Chicago Way.
The Joys of Parenthood: Dean Dad And The Science Fair
Tax extension due, and much travel about to be undertaken, so a quick note:
Dean Dad at Inside Higher Education is at his best when writing about the joys of parenthood.
This one, about the elementary science fair, is priceless.
Enjoy!
Dean Dad at Inside Higher Education is at his best when writing about the joys of parenthood.
This one, about the elementary science fair, is priceless.
Enjoy!
The Second Largest City Of Poland...
..is (at least by folklore accounts), Chicago, Illinois.
It is so hard to know what to say, to express to these folks. To be Polish, by definition, is to carry a burden of true suffering in one's family history. Not the American-style neurotic suffering of 'Mom and Dad only bought me a Toyota sedan instead of sports-car, they never loved me...' sort of stuff.
Real suffering. Parts of the family tree that went away because everyone was killed. Poverty. Political oppression. Conquering armies staging massacres, bombing their cities into rubble. The shame of having the Nazis locate those camps on their soil. Real suffering.
So many emigrated to Chicago in search of a better life. If you read the Chicago papers, you don't see accounts of Polish druglords running gangs that terrorize and shoot up neighborhoods. It's the 'unrung bell' that doesn't get heard or discussed, since the daily brutalities of the city's life leave no room for that.
Contrast that with this.
These folks aren't perfect, but they may have something to teach us in coming days, if we have ears to listen and eyes to see.
and...
The Chicago Tribune published a photo gallery of mourning from around the world.
It is so hard to know what to say, to express to these folks. To be Polish, by definition, is to carry a burden of true suffering in one's family history. Not the American-style neurotic suffering of 'Mom and Dad only bought me a Toyota sedan instead of sports-car, they never loved me...' sort of stuff.
Real suffering. Parts of the family tree that went away because everyone was killed. Poverty. Political oppression. Conquering armies staging massacres, bombing their cities into rubble. The shame of having the Nazis locate those camps on their soil. Real suffering.
So many emigrated to Chicago in search of a better life. If you read the Chicago papers, you don't see accounts of Polish druglords running gangs that terrorize and shoot up neighborhoods. It's the 'unrung bell' that doesn't get heard or discussed, since the daily brutalities of the city's life leave no room for that.
Contrast that with this.
These folks aren't perfect, but they may have something to teach us in coming days, if we have ears to listen and eyes to see.
and...
The Chicago Tribune published a photo gallery of mourning from around the world.
An Opportunity For Young Writers: The Adam Smith Insitute Essay Competiton
The Adam Smith Institute has created a small island of intellectual sanity in the wastelands of London.
It speaks with authority, wit and grace on behalf of free markets and free cultures, and OS tries to spend a little time in company of its leader, Eamonn Butler, every week.
Thus, in the OS Continuing Creative Revenge Campaign, the announcement below is shared. If you are a young person, anywhere in the world who writes in English(OS assumes they want submissions in English....you may wish to check with them.), and believe that your life will fare much better in a free society than in the ones that seem to be now in vogue, the Adam Smith Institute has an essay competition for you. If you win, it's £500 of cash, publication on their site, a two-week internship in their offices, and a party on their boat. If you are in high school/sixth form, and even hit the top three in this competition, take OS's word for it: There's a ton more than £500 and a fun two weeks in it as you hit the beaches of the university admissions process. Admissions committees scour the landscape for young people who already know how to write coherent English, and compete and win. OS knows this first-hand, he's just not at liberty to talk about it for a few years...
Mom, Dad, Older Sibling, Teacher, Headmaster: It's OK to twist junior's arm on this. He'll get over it. The process of having to think it through, do some outside reading and integration of ideas, writing a few drafts and actually submitting the final product, on a tight schedule, is a fabulous education in and of itself. It's like, you know, real life work.
Someone, somewhere, is gonna win this thing. Might as well be you, your child, your student. OS will even prime the pump, two ways. Look at the bottom of the page, and you'll see the Amazon listings of a good place to begin your work. And, if an American student wins, OS will kick in an extra £50. He'll mail it to Mr. Butler to hand to our intrepid author when he visits London. Money talks and spends. (You'll need cash in London. The Nanny State is expensive.)
Here's the announcement:
[begin copy]
The Adam Smith Institute invites you to enter our student competition: ‘Young Writer on Liberty'.
We would like you to write three different articles on the subject:
- you have to be under 20 years of age at the time of entry
- all articles must be under 400 words
- the entry must reach us by the deadline of 30th April 2010
Please email any entries or questions to charlotte@adamsmith.org
[end copy]
Book:
The Alternative Manifesto, by Eamonn Butler
It speaks with authority, wit and grace on behalf of free markets and free cultures, and OS tries to spend a little time in company of its leader, Eamonn Butler, every week.
Thus, in the OS Continuing Creative Revenge Campaign, the announcement below is shared. If you are a young person, anywhere in the world who writes in English(OS assumes they want submissions in English....you may wish to check with them.), and believe that your life will fare much better in a free society than in the ones that seem to be now in vogue, the Adam Smith Institute has an essay competition for you. If you win, it's £500 of cash, publication on their site, a two-week internship in their offices, and a party on their boat. If you are in high school/sixth form, and even hit the top three in this competition, take OS's word for it: There's a ton more than £500 and a fun two weeks in it as you hit the beaches of the university admissions process. Admissions committees scour the landscape for young people who already know how to write coherent English, and compete and win. OS knows this first-hand, he's just not at liberty to talk about it for a few years...
Mom, Dad, Older Sibling, Teacher, Headmaster: It's OK to twist junior's arm on this. He'll get over it. The process of having to think it through, do some outside reading and integration of ideas, writing a few drafts and actually submitting the final product, on a tight schedule, is a fabulous education in and of itself. It's like, you know, real life work.
Someone, somewhere, is gonna win this thing. Might as well be you, your child, your student. OS will even prime the pump, two ways. Look at the bottom of the page, and you'll see the Amazon listings of a good place to begin your work. And, if an American student wins, OS will kick in an extra £50. He'll mail it to Mr. Butler to hand to our intrepid author when he visits London. Money talks and spends. (You'll need cash in London. The Nanny State is expensive.)
Here's the announcement:
[begin copy]
The Adam Smith Institute invites you to enter our student competition: ‘Young Writer on Liberty'.
We would like you to write three different articles on the subject:
Ways to advance freedom
The title of each article is entirely up to you. 1st Prize:
£500 cash prize
3 articles published on www.adamsmith.org/blog
3 books on the subject of liberty
2 weeks work experience at the ASI
Invitation to the prize giving on our Summer Boat Party
£500 cash prize
3 articles published on www.adamsmith.org/blog
3 books on the subject of liberty
2 weeks work experience at the ASI
Invitation to the prize giving on our Summer Boat Party
2nd Prize:
2 articles published on www.adamsmith.org/blog
2 books on the subject of liberty Invitation to the prize giving on our Summer Boat Party
2 articles published on www.adamsmith.org/blog
2 books on the subject of liberty Invitation to the prize giving on our Summer Boat Party
3rd Prize:
1 article published on www.adamsmith.org/blog
1 book on the subject of liberty
Invitation to the prize giving on our Summer Boat Party
To enter:1 article published on www.adamsmith.org/blog
1 book on the subject of liberty
Invitation to the prize giving on our Summer Boat Party
- you have to be under 20 years of age at the time of entry
- all articles must be under 400 words
- the entry must reach us by the deadline of 30th April 2010
Please email any entries or questions to charlotte@adamsmith.org
[end copy]
Book:
The Alternative Manifesto, by Eamonn Butler
Tuesday, April 13, 2010
A Few Nice Words About Jeremy Clarkson, Top Gear Host And Curmudgeon
Not surprisingly, Cranmer didn't endorse his views, but that wasn't the point of the exercise.
Clarkson is grumpy, opinionated, often irritating, and OS has a sort of continuing 'beef' with him about his disdain of things American. When he visited with his Top Gear crew a few years back, driving from Miami to New Orleans, he really made a total ass of himself, and the producers pulled stunts that put the trio into harm's way more than once. It was not a shining moment, we'll say, and leave it at that.
But, he is honest, candid in his opinions, memorable, a wonderful entertainer as host of Top Gear, and Monday nights are made so enjoyable by watching him, Richard the Honorary American, and Captain Slow on their travels across the globe. The 'Celebrities Behind The Wheel of A Sensible Car' feature never fails to amuse, and every appearance of The Stig is the greatest fun.
In short, Clarkson has something so many people have lost: a lively sense of humor.(Or, is that spelled 'humour'?)
And, the man can bleeping express himself clearly in English, a skill the humorless girly-men of Fleet Street and Oxbridge long ago lost. Those people use words to obscure. Clarkson, whether you approve of him or not, at least attempts to illuminate and make the reader chuckle at the same time.
Go get 'em, Mr. Clarkson! Burn some more fuel for us all, the polar bears will be just fine. And, come pay a visit with an open mind. We're not all that bad!
Monday, April 12, 2010
Athens, Alabama/Ohio/Georgia/and Indiana To The Rescue: We May Just Have Bailed Out Greece
Denninger is apoplectic, more than usual.
Follow the link, and see what raised his blood pressure.
OS speculated on this last week, and grins quietly, if grimly, knowing he may have been prescient.
Gotta go. Work calls.
Chin-straps on, and keep yoh' sense of humor. We aaaaalllll gonna need one heah soon.
Follow the link, and see what raised his blood pressure.
OS speculated on this last week, and grins quietly, if grimly, knowing he may have been prescient.
Gotta go. Work calls.
Chin-straps on, and keep yoh' sense of humor. We aaaaalllll gonna need one heah soon.
Les Phillip In Huntsville Tonight: 6 PM at UAH
A quick note from Les Phillip to those who read these pages from Northern Alabama.
(If you're not from there, it's a fabulous part of the US, with a fascinating history.)
Tonight, Monday, April 12, with doors opening at 6pm, I will be participating in a debate with the other 2 Republican candidates for the 5th district. This is a great opportunity to come out, hear from the candidates, and show your support. There will be a straw poll at this debate, so I encourage you to bring friends and come early as seats will be limited. The debate is located at the University Center building at UAHuntsville, and is sponsored by the Consortium of Students for Justice and Liberty.
OS doesn't know Mr. Phillip, but has thrown a few shekels his way as he runs for Congress.
Just by being elected and showing up on the House floor to be sworn in next year, he'll create apoplexy amongst the old-line Politburo leftists like Charlie Rangel, Nancy Pelosi, Harold Ford, and the Congressional Black Caucus.
It's worth a few shekels just to see them squirm.
Creative revenge is always more fun...
(If you're not from there, it's a fabulous part of the US, with a fascinating history.)
Tonight, Monday, April 12, with doors opening at 6pm, I will be participating in a debate with the other 2 Republican candidates for the 5th district. This is a great opportunity to come out, hear from the candidates, and show your support. There will be a straw poll at this debate, so I encourage you to bring friends and come early as seats will be limited. The debate is located at the University Center building at UAHuntsville, and is sponsored by the Consortium of Students for Justice and Liberty.
OS doesn't know Mr. Phillip, but has thrown a few shekels his way as he runs for Congress.
Just by being elected and showing up on the House floor to be sworn in next year, he'll create apoplexy amongst the old-line Politburo leftists like Charlie Rangel, Nancy Pelosi, Harold Ford, and the Congressional Black Caucus.
It's worth a few shekels just to see them squirm.
Creative revenge is always more fun...
Sunday Afternoon At Augusta: Reason To Cheer
It OS's ritual, and his bride indulges him, and sometimes even watches with him. She really loves him, to endure an afternoon of TV golf.
There are no cheers in sport like the cheers at Augusta; lusty, happy, enthusiastic roars ring across the course on Sunday afternoon. Some of the best television in television is CBS's coverage of Sunday afternoon in Augusta. Jim Nantz can tell the tale, and Nick Faldo knows how to explain the game from the point of view of someone who has won the event three times. The producer and director know how to create a narrative out of the slow progress of the pairs of golfers, doing things that look arcane to those who don't follow this strange sport.
Phil gets the Green Jacket this year, thankfully. A Good Guy wins, instead of the Bad Boy. He began and ended his round with 3-wood tee shots, emblematic of a hard-earned humility. His wife, battling cancer, and family were assembled to greet him, regardless of the score. It was a win, no matter what the scorecard read.
But there were a number of others who walked off 18 smiling ear to ear. Anthony Kim played the round of his young life, and beamed. Tom Watson exuded class, and greeted the cheers with his warm, wry smile. Freddie Couples, in his slippers without socks, came so close to winning, but never forgot to enjoy every moment. Lee Westwood did his country proud, hopefully will be on his best game for The Open. Sixteen-year-old Matteo Manassero, the young player to ever make the cut, won low amateur, and was sweet and gracious in his victory.
Tiger scowled, berated himself in public for not winning, didn't bother to thank the fans who cheered him on, or the tournament organizers who could have understandably let him know he was unwelcome this year. He cryptically noted he didn't know when he would play the next tournament. Even had he won by five strokes, the joyless visage would have been the same, because he hadn't won by seven.
He just doesn't Get It.
There are no cheers in sport like the cheers at Augusta; lusty, happy, enthusiastic roars ring across the course on Sunday afternoon. Some of the best television in television is CBS's coverage of Sunday afternoon in Augusta. Jim Nantz can tell the tale, and Nick Faldo knows how to explain the game from the point of view of someone who has won the event three times. The producer and director know how to create a narrative out of the slow progress of the pairs of golfers, doing things that look arcane to those who don't follow this strange sport.
Phil gets the Green Jacket this year, thankfully. A Good Guy wins, instead of the Bad Boy. He began and ended his round with 3-wood tee shots, emblematic of a hard-earned humility. His wife, battling cancer, and family were assembled to greet him, regardless of the score. It was a win, no matter what the scorecard read.
But there were a number of others who walked off 18 smiling ear to ear. Anthony Kim played the round of his young life, and beamed. Tom Watson exuded class, and greeted the cheers with his warm, wry smile. Freddie Couples, in his slippers without socks, came so close to winning, but never forgot to enjoy every moment. Lee Westwood did his country proud, hopefully will be on his best game for The Open. Sixteen-year-old Matteo Manassero, the young player to ever make the cut, won low amateur, and was sweet and gracious in his victory.
Tiger scowled, berated himself in public for not winning, didn't bother to thank the fans who cheered him on, or the tournament organizers who could have understandably let him know he was unwelcome this year. He cryptically noted he didn't know when he would play the next tournament. Even had he won by five strokes, the joyless visage would have been the same, because he hadn't won by seven.
He just doesn't Get It.
Sunday, April 11, 2010
I Left My Job In San Francisco: Office Vacancy Rates Cimb In Nancy Pelosi's District
HT to Calculated Risk, who always seems to be three steps ahead of the world...
If the whole Hopey/Changey/SpendLikeADrunkenSailor approach to governance and economy were so self-evidently wonderful, why is the office vacancy rate in San Francisco, Nancy Pelosi's home district, on a climb toward 20%? That means there are no people working in all that empty office space, not producing anything, not paying more taxes for Miss Nancy to spend.
It isn't like the great Federal helicopter hasn't been able to hover and rain money down upon the City By The Bay. Miss Nancy's at the stick of the chopper, by gosh and by golly.
It's now her and Obama's economy. They made sure of that by ramming through the great 'Stimulus' bill, seizing automakers and insurance companies, making good on unpayable pension promises for the UAW. They have gotten their way on everything, including a massive health care bill.
So, what happened? Or didn't happen? Does she deserve to be trusted to continue down the same path?
What happens this fall if the voters ask these questions?
If the whole Hopey/Changey/SpendLikeADrunkenSailor approach to governance and economy were so self-evidently wonderful, why is the office vacancy rate in San Francisco, Nancy Pelosi's home district, on a climb toward 20%? That means there are no people working in all that empty office space, not producing anything, not paying more taxes for Miss Nancy to spend.
It isn't like the great Federal helicopter hasn't been able to hover and rain money down upon the City By The Bay. Miss Nancy's at the stick of the chopper, by gosh and by golly.
It's now her and Obama's economy. They made sure of that by ramming through the great 'Stimulus' bill, seizing automakers and insurance companies, making good on unpayable pension promises for the UAW. They have gotten their way on everything, including a massive health care bill.
So, what happened? Or didn't happen? Does she deserve to be trusted to continue down the same path?
What happens this fall if the voters ask these questions?
This Week's Best Turn Of Phrase: Homer Hickam--'Another Company Town'
Homer Hickam grew up in a hard-scrabble coal mining West Virginia town, from which he emerged by winning the National Science Fair as a lad. He went on to a career at NASA, and from there to his present career as an author.
His wonderful autobiographical account, Rocket Boys, was a favorite in our house as we raised the kids. Who can't love this story of inspiration, hard work, and success? It was the basis of the wonderful movie October Sky, highly recommended for every family.
In the wake of the recent tragedy in West Virginia, the media has turned to him for words of wisdom, and he doesn't tell them what they wish to hear.
After I'm finished with my description of people and place as they actually are, the disappointment is almost palpable. That's because most of the interviewers already have an idea of what life is like in a coal company town, or at least, they think they do. This is because of another company town, namely Hollywood. Over the years, the movies set in coal country have pretty well established how most Americans and the media view coal miners and their communities. "Coal Miner's Daughter," "Matewan" and, yes, "October Sky," all telling stories of an era decades ago, are the films most of the interviewers have seen. Some of them even cite "How Green Was My Valley" as their reference, never mind that it was set in Wales a century ago.
Rather than the little towns in the hills I describe with their snowy white churches, interviewers want to hear how awful these places are, how gritty, ugly and dirty. They also want to hear how downtrodden, bitter and wretched coal miners are. I hate to disappoint them, but they just aren't like that any more, and thank goodness they're not.
The truth is, without the American coal miner and his willingness to work in his profession, we'd all be sunk. Coal provides well over 50% of our country's electrical production and it also keeps the average price per kilowatt-hour cheap. In other words, coal is the backbone of our economy. When we turn on a light, use a computer, watch television or do anything using electricity, we should all thank the coal miners. We should also as a nation take it as our sacred duty to keep them safe, and that means supporting the U.S. Mine Safety and Health Administration.
A big ol' Hat Tip to Mr. Hickam for that great turn of phrase: ...another company town, namely Hollywood. Five words that cut to the quick of our popular media industries.
So...
Why is it this country decided to look to movie-makers to shape their views about culture, politics, economy? Those flickering images on the screen are just that. Same goes for the record industry. OS, having been involved in the production of records for a number of years, can testify that they are manufactured works of fiction, and their creators are generally people you would wish to keep away from your children.
We need not let them bully us, about anything. Company towns fold up and die when people stop buying the stuff they ship out.
His wonderful autobiographical account, Rocket Boys, was a favorite in our house as we raised the kids. Who can't love this story of inspiration, hard work, and success? It was the basis of the wonderful movie October Sky, highly recommended for every family.
In the wake of the recent tragedy in West Virginia, the media has turned to him for words of wisdom, and he doesn't tell them what they wish to hear.
After I'm finished with my description of people and place as they actually are, the disappointment is almost palpable. That's because most of the interviewers already have an idea of what life is like in a coal company town, or at least, they think they do. This is because of another company town, namely Hollywood. Over the years, the movies set in coal country have pretty well established how most Americans and the media view coal miners and their communities. "Coal Miner's Daughter," "Matewan" and, yes, "October Sky," all telling stories of an era decades ago, are the films most of the interviewers have seen. Some of them even cite "How Green Was My Valley" as their reference, never mind that it was set in Wales a century ago.
Rather than the little towns in the hills I describe with their snowy white churches, interviewers want to hear how awful these places are, how gritty, ugly and dirty. They also want to hear how downtrodden, bitter and wretched coal miners are. I hate to disappoint them, but they just aren't like that any more, and thank goodness they're not.
The truth is, without the American coal miner and his willingness to work in his profession, we'd all be sunk. Coal provides well over 50% of our country's electrical production and it also keeps the average price per kilowatt-hour cheap. In other words, coal is the backbone of our economy. When we turn on a light, use a computer, watch television or do anything using electricity, we should all thank the coal miners. We should also as a nation take it as our sacred duty to keep them safe, and that means supporting the U.S. Mine Safety and Health Administration.
A big ol' Hat Tip to Mr. Hickam for that great turn of phrase: ...another company town, namely Hollywood. Five words that cut to the quick of our popular media industries.
So...
Why is it this country decided to look to movie-makers to shape their views about culture, politics, economy? Those flickering images on the screen are just that. Same goes for the record industry. OS, having been involved in the production of records for a number of years, can testify that they are manufactured works of fiction, and their creators are generally people you would wish to keep away from your children.
We need not let them bully us, about anything. Company towns fold up and die when people stop buying the stuff they ship out.
Herman Cain: A Thunderous Voice From The Right
Surfing, and tripped upon C-Span's coverage of Southern Republican Leadership Conference.
Sarah Palin wowed them yesterday, and it was amusing to watch as Obama strode out to the Rose Garden to slowly, deliberately, slowly, slowly make his announcement, to keep the coverage on Himself, and away from 'That Woman!' holding forth in New Orleans.
Herman Cain, by contrast, thundered like the voice of Moses coming down from the mountain bearing the tablets.
Couldn't find today's speech, but this from 2009 should give you a hint. Don't worry, you'll get the gist of him about thirty seconds in. Hang on to your hats!
By contrast, Ron Paul rambled, drawing cheers and boos, and was rather incoherent, if passionate and well-meaning. GOP chair Michael Steele was met with a tepid response. He's toast.
OS does wonder what it would be like to see Mr. Cain run for President.
It would be amusing to see Obama's folks try to label him a racist!
Sarah Palin wowed them yesterday, and it was amusing to watch as Obama strode out to the Rose Garden to slowly, deliberately, slowly, slowly make his announcement, to keep the coverage on Himself, and away from 'That Woman!' holding forth in New Orleans.
Herman Cain, by contrast, thundered like the voice of Moses coming down from the mountain bearing the tablets.
Couldn't find today's speech, but this from 2009 should give you a hint. Don't worry, you'll get the gist of him about thirty seconds in. Hang on to your hats!
By contrast, Ron Paul rambled, drawing cheers and boos, and was rather incoherent, if passionate and well-meaning. GOP chair Michael Steele was met with a tepid response. He's toast.
OS does wonder what it would be like to see Mr. Cain run for President.
It would be amusing to see Obama's folks try to label him a racist!
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