It’s nice when the candidates drop the “g” when attempting to sound folksy like most of the rest of us. You know, “Votin’” vs. “Voting.” “Lookin’” vs. “Looking.” Just one of the folks . . . just like Daddy Bush didn’t have a clue what a grocery store scanner was when the rest of us had been seeing them regularly at the market for years.
So while much of the country is just tryin’ [I can be folksy too even although I'm not running for anything or from anyone!] to stay alive . . . the folks who are trying to convince us that they understand the pain of the average American . . . well, take a look . . .
No Harry Truman here!
OK, but they and their “PACS” or Political Action Committees, which really aren’t theirs and which they all “know nothing about” being law-abiding candidates for the Presidency of the US, are spending billions to convince the US electorate to pull the tr . . . lever, or punch the . . . no, not the candidate [Shame on you!] but the chad out of the ballot . . . in their favor. So, I guess they really can’t be ordinary folk like us.
The percentage of charitable contributions is interesting. Both Obama (a Christian) and Romney (a Mormon, which regardless of the promo ads is something different from being a Christian . . . I mean Muslims also believe in Jesus, albeit in a different way than Christians), but as both men of faith from groups that advocate charitable giving (of course the Muslims advocate that as well, as do the Jews, and a lot of others) . . . Romney and Obama at 14%. Newt looks a little stingy at only 3%, and the $10 million ballet contribution probably helped there.
Republicans are big on “family values.” Carl Rove got conservatives all riled up that gays were taking over and true Americans needed to defend the “institution of marriage”, which helped get out the vote to get Bush (the kid) elected. And the so-call “Evangelical” right (as embarrassing to many Christians as the radical Islamists who blow themselves and others up are to many Muslims), the “Evangelical right” (who just may be wrong) are lining up behind Gingrich and Romney who are the champions of family values. Obama, who models parenthood and this beautiful family, of course has allowed gays to serve in the military, so therefore must be anti-family. Ignoring the fact of Gingrich’s multiple marriages, divorces, affairs, and reported advocacy of “open marriage” (his ex-wife’s assertion), Gingrich is of course the right’s poster child for family values. Never mind that although reigned-in by the government, polygamy was for many years a touchstone of Mormonism, but, ignoring that inconvenient aspect, Romney is a central casting candidate with a lovely family and a nice hairdo that even Donald Trump can’t trump.
And less any of you get your undershorts all twisted up, I’m all for the church, whatever church, defining what marriage is for the members of that church. You don’t want gay marriage, you probably don’t want to belong to a “gay” church or an “open fellowship” of Christians. Fine. Some Mormons want multiple women to cook and sew and bear children, fine by me. Newt wants an “open marriage”, more power to him as long as Mrs. Newt goes along. Let any religious group define it anyway they want. That’s marriage. Defined by the church. Divorce yes . . . divorce no . . . divorce only if you jump through enough hoops. Fine. Let the church decide. Your church decides for you. Not for me, not for the rest of the nation.
The legal contract between two persons, that defines various rights and legal responsibilities, that is something for the state to decide. You get one (at least that’s the way it seems to work best) legally defined “partner”. You want that, you go to the city or town hall, make your pledges, and get your papers. Just like in Europe. You don’t do want to do that, just want to live together, OK, but seven years later don’t come crying demanding the same legal rights as those who made the contract. You want a contract, make it. You don’t, so be it.
Now, you want to be married in the eyes of God, go to church. And let your church define that process and the requirements and expectations.
It’s been working all these years in Europe . . . and in countries that don’t even preach separation of church and state.
Remember the separation of church and state? That’s why Sharia law won’t work in the US and neither will definitions and rules and regulations defined by the religious “right” or “left” work. We have wisely chosen to keep church and state separate.
Gee . . . I’m beginning to sound like a . . . Libertarian. Oooo! And there’s this other guy . . . Ron Paul . . . but he doesn’t have a chance. After all he’s a Republican, mixed in with the rest, and I voted for “Change!” Of course Gitmo is still there . . . and we’re still bringing home dead soldiers from Afghanistan . . . but the given the abysmal state of the economy and country when Obama took office . . . you can’t deny we’ve come a long way even although the guy turned out not to walk on water.
How the hell did I get off on this?
What a stunnuing surprise! When we walked in the lobby it was like walking into a sheek, chic hotel that we’d never seen! I’m sure the staff at the desk thought we had escaped from the “home” because we were walking around with our mouths hanging open! A Shushi Bar! A trendy Asian restaurant! “Stunning!” was the only description available. Now the doorman/bellman who has been there since we came to Panama, greeted us as always like old friends. A friendly bi-lingual staff checked us in without the usual hassle. We were wisked off to our rooms shaking our heads. Now through the years I’ve watched the Riande make various half-assed, el cheapo “improvements” to the rooms which amounted to nothing . . . we walked into this modern, trendy, yet beautiful room, with THE most comfortable beds I’ve ever slept on (sorry Holland America and Crystal!). At least 900 count sheets, pillow choices, and what Riande has tried for years to make work . . . a bathroom that was actually new, beautiful, and worked! The rain shower actually worked the way rain showers should and honestly it was the BEST shower I have had on any ship or in any hotel anywhere: lots of pressure, lots of hot water. So still in shock we went into the new restaurant. Asian. Trendy, but limited and expensive menu. All we really wanted, and the one food item Riande had managed to do “right” through the years was Hamburguesa Americana. Sushi’s not my thing, and headed off for Christmas with the kids and then a Crystal Cruise, all we wanted was a good hamburger. We commented to the waitress that we missed some of the old items, and she asked what they were. So she said, “Let me talk to the Chef.” Came back and said, “What do you want: he’ll make it.” And so we had two very improved Hamburguesas Americanas! Most of the staff has been changed, except for a few folks who have been steller through the years, like the doorman/bellman.
A friend of mine, a senior Bridge officer on Holland America, posted this on Facebook . . .
It all sounds good, and looks good on the back of your cabin door.
While the general idea of the Emergency Muster Drill is universal, the way in which it is conducted varies widely from ship to ship and even within cruise lines who may be owned by one giant parent company. One company sends everyone in their life jackets to their life boat station. An other company says that isn’t a good idea because you are exposing passengers to the elements and resolving an emergency may take hours before it may possibly be necessary to evacuate the ship. Better to have people safe and sound in the “cocoon” of the ship with their life jacket in hand. From the assembly station they can be directed to lifeboats if necessary [realizing that, as in the case of COSTA CONCORDIA, some lifeboats may be inaccessible or inoperable]. And it is easier to control people in several small areas rather than stretched out along a giant promenade deck. Some cruise lines are very strict: no talking, no joking, no drinking, yada, yada, yada, and others are frankly a little loose. On a recent cruise the jovial ”Chef de Cuisine” in command of our lifeboat and his two mousey beauty saloon assistants, seemed to be totally unbothered by the two women who responded that hubby was back in the cabin napping rather than attending the lifeboat drill. IMHO it is at this point that “command control” is established . . . or not established.
Everyone’s nightmare: COSTA CONCORDIA.
Yes, as some have observed, the commanders of the lifeboats are not officers but chefs, bakers, musicians, and shop keepers. There are not enough officers on any cruise ship to command all the life boats, so all crew members are assigned and trained for various emergency duties. Each cruise line has programs for training and evaluation. Various countries, such as the US, require inspection of all of this IF the ship calls in that country. In the US it’s the Coast Guard. The parent company, in this case Carnival, has inspection checks. It will be interesting to see how this all plays out. All emergency training and plans don’t really take into consideration human response in an immediate crisis when survival is perhaps a matter of moments not minutes or hours. The impression I always have is that most ships expect that they will have hours for evacuation, not minutes.
Richard says, "Lecturing on ships transiting the Canal I realized there was a need for a simpler, more readable book written for cruise passengers that included information about the Canal as well as information about Panama. I wanted to write a book that would be helpful to folks planning a Panama Canal trip as well as serve as a guide during the voyage." 
Comments