Thursday, November 30, 2017

 

Political Mayhem Thursday: Nothing says "I don't care" quite like putting Kellyanne Conway in charge of opioid abuse



Attorney General Jeff Sessions on Wednesday announced that pollster Kellyanne Conway, 50, counselor to President Donald Trump, would oversee White House efforts to combat the opioid overdose epidemic.
More than 64,000 people died in the US of drug overdoses in 2016, largely from opioids such as heroin, fentanyl, and prescription painkillers. Trump declared a national public health emergency over the crisis in October, and calls have emerged for an opioids "czar" to lead crisis response efforts in the last year.
Looks like Conway has the job. Trump has asked her "to coordinate and lead the effort from the White House," Sessions said at a news conference in remarks that went beyond prepared ones from the event.
Where to start with this?
The opioid crisis is real, and it is serious. There are a lot of people (I am one of them) who have devoted a lot of time to understanding this crisis and thinking about possible solutions. There are criminologists, sociologists, addiction specialists, emergency room doctors and other experts who would be wonderful in this position.
And Kellyanne Conway?
By profession, she is a pundit and a pollster. She ran Trump's campaign after supporting Ted Cruz. Her prior clients included Newt Gingrich, Dan Quayle, and Mike Pence.  Most recently, she has been accused of repeatedly breaking ethics laws. It was Conway who added the term "alternative facts" to our national lexicon. 
Maybe she will use her access to power to bring change-makers into the equation. Maybe. 
It's been a pretty weird week, hasn't it?




Wednesday, November 29, 2017

 

On the tax bill-- two simple truths

1) If you want to provide jobs for Americans, you can do that through targeted tax incentives to employers-- you don't have to chop taxes overall in a way that favors the very rich over time. In fact, the ability to set incentives is one of the beautiful things about tax policy. The fact that this is not what they are doing is telling. It's not about "jobs."

2) There is a very simple dynamic that is repeating itself-- one that is cynical and destructive. First, taxes are cut for the rich in a way that is guaranteed to exacerbate the deficit. Second, when the deficit predictably grows, the same people who called for the creation of that deficit will suddenly be shocked-- shocked!--that this happened and demand cuts in programs that benefit everyone except rich people and corporations.

Time will tell, of course.



Tuesday, November 28, 2017

 

Myth and Reality: Flynn and Mueller


Yesterday, it was reported that lawyers for Michael Flynn, the former National Security Advisor to Donald Trump, were talking to members of Special Counsel Robert Mueller's team.  Some commentators treated this as a bombshell. They were right. It is a significant development.

However, a lot of the speculation about what was happening seemed a little off to me.  As a former federal prosecutor and someone who teaches criminal law, I knew that they were not simply "cutting a deal." 

The myth-- propagated by movies and television dramas-- is that when a key witness/potential defendant flips for the government the transaction is pretty simple. In this fictional world, the defense side asks for a deal based on a sentence or a reduced charge ("probation" or "manslaughter"). If the prosecution likes the offer, they accept the terms and then talk to their newest witness about what he knows.

That's not how it rolls in real life.

Think about it-- it would be stupid for the prosecution to agree to a deal before they know how much the witness knows, how clearly he can state his truth, and whether or not he is going to lie to them.

Instead, here is the routine prosecutors and defense attorneys follow when a potential defendant/witness like Flynn might flip:

1) The defense side will usually approach the government and signal a willingness to cooperate (sometimes this conversation is initiated by the government).

2) The two sides will schedule a "proffer of information." That is a meeting between the defendant, the defense attorney, the prosecutor and an agent (who can testify later if necessary). 

3) Next, the two sides will execute an agreement covering the terms of the proffer. This agreement is written out, and usually contained in a "Kastigar letter," (named after a Supreme Court case). Those terms will grant a type of limited use immunity. In other words, what the defendant says in the proffer session cannot be used directly against that defendant later; that is, they can't take him to trial and then use his admissions in the proffer to convict him. They can, however, use it for collateral purposes. The most important collateral purpose will be to impeach the defendant with his statement in the proffer session if he tells a different story later in the proceeding. That means that giving a proffer effectively bars the defendant from testifying on his own behalf later in most cases.

4)  The purpose of the proffer session is to allow the government to hear and assess the information the witness/defendant can offer. They listen not only to what the witness/defendant says, but how he says it. The proffer will start with "control questions": those are questions that the government already knows the answers to through other evidence. The witness/defendant, of course, may not know that they know this, though. If the witness/defendant lies on the control questions, that may well be the end of the proffer session-- or at least it will put the government on a stronger footing to demand more after they make clear what the lie was. The use of control questions means that any decent defense attorney will strongly advise a client that if they are going to give a proffer, they must do so honestly.

5) If the proffer session is promising to the government, they will then create a proposed plea agreement. That agreement, though, is contingent on the witness/defendant fulfilling all of his obligations to testify in the future. Sometimes, there is a variation on this-- the agreement is to give information, and the promise is only to make a general recommendation that this information be taken into account at sentencing. 

6)  The sentencing of the witness/defendant will often be delayed until all of his obligations-- including testifying against others-- are fulfilled.

This process gives a huge advantage to the prosecution, when it is played right. And it appears that Mueller is doing exactly that.

UPDATE: Flynn has now (as of 12/1/17) plead guilty to lying to the FBI (a violation of 18 U.S.C.  1001). The curious thing here is the low-level charge. My thoughts on that:

1) Often a prosecutor will charge a lot of counts then dismiss them later if the defendant cooperates. Mueller seems to be doing the opposite-- he is charging a low-level count and holding others in reserve in case Flynn violates the cooperation agreement (or is pardoned).

2) I suspect that Mueller has already gotten value out of Flynn through a proffer and possibly by putting him in front of a grand jury. If Flynn testified in front of a grand jury, that locks in his testimony in the future. Even if Flynn is pardoned by Trump, he can be called as a witness and held to his prior testimony. If he refuses to testify, he could be held in contempt. That's when the Arpaio pardon becomes an important precedent. 

3) Flynn was charged by an information, not an indictment-- meaning that he waived his right to a Grand Jury charge. That is a strong indicator that his plea is part of a broader agreement.
 


Monday, November 27, 2017

 

Eaten

Haiku excellence last week! This piece by Megan Willome told a little (Texas) story:

Iced tea at dinner,
then: "Do you have any wine?" 
Becker chardonnay

And this one from Gavin, too (though not at all Texas-y):

Crepe in hand she stares
at Eiffel's glowing tower. 
I watch her and smile. 

But I think Christine may have had the biggest feast:

Perfect, smoked duck
Swiss cognac, pinot noir
cranberries abound

While Jill Scoggins had the best drinks:

Red blend “quietly”
aged in bourbon barrels. Makes
this Louvillian smile.

Sunday, November 26, 2017

 

Sunday Reflection: Going Home

Thanksgiving is the biggest travel time of the year, as people shuttle back to the town they came from. When I was little, I remember someone trying to explain why Mary and Joseph were traveling to Bethlehem when Jesus was born. I guess this youth minister did not want to explain what a "census" was to a little kid, so he told me it was like Thanksgiving, when everyone travels to the place where their family comes from. It makes sense to me-- and somehow I still connect Thanksgiving to Mary and Joseph.

There is something deep and meaningful and sometimes scary about that journey. People have often left that place for a reason, good or bad, and traveling back  brings back a raft of feelings related to that move away. And the people, of course: family relationships are complicated. There are the inner-circle family members, and those further out, and sometimes they all bring their own complexities.

That journey is worthwhile for many of us (including me).

Is finding or re-finding faith like that journey?

Saturday, November 25, 2017

 

Lady Bird

Yesterday, I saw the movie "Lady Bird," and thought it was great. My only problem was the reference to Sacramento as being so boring that it is "the Midwest of California." Hey!!!


Friday, November 24, 2017

 

Haiku Friday: The Things We Ate


I am a traditionalist when it comes to Thanksgiving dinner, but I know that not everyone is. Whether it be turkey or pasta, I hope you ate with gusto and love yesterday.

For me, Thanksgiving is marked not just by the food but by the drinks. When I was a kid there wasn't room in the fridge for everything, and one of my jobs would be to take things out and bring them back: tall bottles of wine, jugs of cider, cans of soda, and squat bottles of beer. I loved dashing from the warm and loud house out into the cold and still night and back.

Let's haiku about what we ate and drank, yesterday and in the past. Here, I will go first.

The labels, magic:
Gigondas, Vacqueyras, Graves;
All so far away.

Now it is your turn! Just use the 5/7/5 syllable pattern, and have some fun!


Thursday, November 23, 2017

 

Thankful


Where I live, this time of year is marked by newly bare branches and wisps of snow. I went out to the store last night, and walking into a warm bakery or grocery meant slipping into a cozy hive of people preparing happily for what is to come.

And I am thankful. More than usual, but less than I should be.

Yesterday, after a real scare in September, my dad pulled through his hip replacement without a hitch. He now has a new hip made of titanium, with polymer linings. It will be a good thing for his body and his mind (and my mom's sanity, I suspect). It's a good thing for us all; the world needs him here with us.

And there is so much more to be thankful for, too. I am thankful for you all, for one thing. There are times that my week gets overwhelming and when I get to Friday I am struggling. But then I look on the blog and see some haiku, stories of love and life; that gets me through. 

Enjoy this day. I know that I will, with a full heart.


Wednesday, November 22, 2017

 

What's the deal with people like Wes Goodman?


The Wes Goodman story, as told by The Independent:

An Ohio lawmaker who routinely touted his Christian faith and anti-LGBT views has resigned after being caught having sex with a man in his office.
Wes Goodman, who is the Republican state legislator for Ohio, is married to a woman who is assistant director of an annual anti-abortion rally known as March for Life.
The right-wing legislator, who pushed “family values”, was reportedly witnessed having sex with a man inside his office who was not employed by the legislator.
According to the Columbus Dispatch, the observer told Ohio House Chief of Staff Mike Dittoe what had happened on Tuesday afternoon. Mr Dittoe responded by telling House Speaker Republican Cliff Rosenberger who in turn met with Mr Goodman. 
The 33-year-old, who has been branded the “conscience of the conservative movement”, resigned for “inappropriate conduct” shortly after the meeting took place.
Mr Goodman, whose Twitter biography describes him as “Christian. American. Conservative. Republican. Husband to @Beth1027”, has regularly claimed "natural marriage" occurs between a man and a woman. 
"Healthy, vibrant, thriving, values-driven families are the source of Ohio's proud history and the key to Ohio's future greatness,” reads his campaign website which has now been taken offline.
There is something deeply sad about this story. Goodman obviously was so deeply living a lie that he had to exaggerate his opposition to... well, himself.  
This kind of hypocrisy is found in both parties, and among everyone at some level, of course. But between these episodes and the (probably more important) continuing revelations about sexual abuse by powerful men, it seems like our country has a major problem with sex. 







Tuesday, November 21, 2017

 

Writing and writing...

On Sunday, the Waco Trib ran a piece I wrote about the Mueller investigation, which is fascinating to watch from outside. Here is part of what I said:

The Mueller team is like a clock: it offers simple information to the public, but a lot of whirring gears and intricate machinery is hidden from view. While we don’t know much about these inner workings, there is much to consider from what we can see on the outside.

Then my dad has this reflection for Thanksgiving. I hope that you will read that, too.

Monday, November 20, 2017

 

Thankful

Some great haiku last week, guys!

This one from Jill Scoggins made me remember when we were both in Waco, and she was one of those new friends to me:

They are new-but-like-
old friends who have enveloped
me deep in their hearts.

But really, you should read them all...

Sunday, November 19, 2017

 

Sunday Reflection: Pray with me

My dad is going in for surgery this Wednesday. It's just a "routine" hip replacement, that would be a lot more routine if last time they did tried he hadn't pretty much died and had to be resuscitated. (He described that a little here on his blog:

This past week I seemingly experienced the completion of my life cycle and then was given a chance to start a new one. I don”t know why.

I was scheduled to have hip replacement surgery this past Wednesday. Unfortunately I went into anaphylactic shock and my body shut down completely. I was aware that life was passing out of me. Through a ton of good luck and good emergency medical help my heart and lungs were revived after five minutes, and I miraculously survived. 

Those of you who know me well know that I am not big on public prayer. I take Jesus at his word that maybe it is best done in a closet, to avoid the temptation of doing it for show. There is a good reason I don't get invited to a lot of prayer breakfasts.

There is a time to pray, though. And this is one of them.

Saturday, November 18, 2017

 

Because I wonder...

What is the opposite of being jammed into a coach seat for a flight?


Friday, November 17, 2017

 

Haiku Friday: Giving thanks


I love this time of year, and the holiday we get next week. Thanksgiving. The name says it all, huh? So, let's give thanks haiku-style today (and maybe again next week-- if you are like me, you owe a lot of folks some thanks).

Here, I will go first:

Old friends, still are there
The years add luster and warmth
Thanks for then and now.

[that is Craig A in the upper right corner; I am in the second row, second from the left]

 Now it is your turn! Just use the 5/7/5 syllable formula, and have some fun!


Thursday, November 16, 2017

 

Political Mayhem Thursday: Meanwhile, in Zimbabwe...


Yes, I know, the tax bill is complicated and possibly evil, and Senators are starting to back away from it. And, yes, I know, the Roy Moore situation is just getting creepier all the time. Yet, there are other things going on in the world, and one of them is particularly important. One of the world's longest-ruling and controversial leaders is apparently reaching the end of the line.

Zimbabwe is a complicated place. From 1923 until 1965, it was a British colony known as "Southern Rhodesia." In 1965, the predominately white government (in an overwhelmingly black nation) declared independence from Britain, and from 1965 until 1980, the white government was in power, despite worldwide condemnation and sanctions. Robert Mugabe was one of the leaders of the Zimbabwean African National Union (ZANU), which eventually won majority control for the country.

At that point, Mugabe was a legit success. He first became Prime Minister and then President. As a sometimes-Marxist, he was deeply unpopular with the United States.

And now, after 37 years of ruling Zimbabwe, it looks like the military is taking down Robert Mugabe.  The problem, of course, is that the freedom fighter became the self-enricher.  When the economy tanked, he turned to vilifying gay men, calling them "worse than dogs and pigs." By 2009, about 75% of the population relied on food aid, and unemployment rose over 80%. Meanwhile, his own fortune soared.

Through it all, he did win contested elections, even though many of those were marred by intimidation.  

It's complicated, but it looks like change is on the way.



Wednesday, November 15, 2017

 

Sports Update!


It's been kind of a weird college football season. Let's review who is having a great season and who really isn't.

Having a great season:

Alabama: Undefeated. Ranked #1. Looking good doing it. Still have to play Auburn and Georgia. Oh, and Mercer. Who scheduled that?

Wisconsin: Also undefeated. Sadly, they had a weak schedule. Still have to play Michigan and in the Big 10 title game.

Yale: Already won at least a share of the Ivy League for the first time in a while. Can win it outright when Harvard visits for The Game this weekend.

Not really having a great season:

Baylor: Only one win, over the team now formally known as Lowly Kansas. They lost to some baaaaad teams this year, including Duke and USTA. Oh, and Liberty, which is a so-so team in Div. I-AA. Ouch.

Kansas: See above.

William and Mary:  2-8, including loses to some pretty bad teams, like Towson State.


Of course, there are a lot of teams in the middle-- Michigan, Michigan State, Boston College-- that are doing ok but not great. My prediction for the championship: Wisconsin and Alabama. Book it!


Tuesday, November 14, 2017

 

Re Roy Moore


What does it take to get rid of a Republican candidate in deep-red Alabama? It appears that we are on the verge of finding out.

There is a lot not to like about Roy Moore. A LOT.  Like (at age 32) picking up a 14-year-old girl while in the courthouse while her Mom was in a custody hearing. Then molesting her.

Now the New Yorker has a story that raises the gross-out value to a new high:

This past weekend, I spoke or messaged with more than a dozen people—including a major political figure in the state—who told me that they had heard, over the years, that Moore had been banned from the mall because he repeatedly badgered teen-age girls. Some say that they heard this at the time, others in the years since. These people include five members of the local legal community, two cops who worked in the town, several people who hung out at the mall in the early eighties, and a number of former mall employees. (A request for comment from the Moore campaign was not answered.) Several of them asked that I leave their names out of this piece. The stories that they say they’ve heard for years have been swirling online in the days since the Post published its report. “Sources tell me Moore was actually banned from the Gadsden Mall and the YMCA for his inappropriate behavior of soliciting sex from young girls,” the independent Alabama journalist Glynn Wilson wrote on his Web site on Sunday. (Wilson declined to divulge his sources.) Teresa Jones, a deputy district attorney for Etowah County in the early eighties, told CNN last week that “it was common knowledge that Roy dated high-school girls.” Jones told me that she couldn’t confirm the alleged mall banning, but said, “It’s a rumor I’ve heard for years.”

It's disappointing that the New Yorker piece is rooted in part in rumor. The story about child molestation is not rooted in rumor, though.

What does it take?

Monday, November 13, 2017

 

The London Game

Look, I have known Christine a long time. A looooong time. Like, nearly half a century.  When we moved in down the street from her family, cars did not have seat belts. People on my street had party line phones (where you share a phone number with your neighbors). It was so long ago that color TV was still a big deal.

Anyways, her haiku last week has me stumped:

Played with Pammie J
In her backyard one summer
The London Game.

I know who Pammie J is. But I have no idea whatsoever what "The London Game" might be...

Sunday, November 12, 2017

 

Sunday Reflection: Addition by Subtraction

As I have mentioned here before, a lot of my time over the last year has been spent putting together a new casebook for first year criminal law students called "Contemporary Criminal Law." I sent it off to West Publishing yesterday-- all 1026 pages of it-- and there was real satisfaction in pushing that "send" button.

Last week, I wrote about how this project pushed me towards a spiritual state of aloneness that I really hadn't given much thought to before.  Today I want to talk about another aspect of the project that was a surprise, and a good one.

The trick to writing a good casebook, in part, is excerpting good opinions that illustrate the point you are trying to make. One thing I discovered as I read thousands of court opinions was an incredible range of writing ability on the federal bench. There are some terrible writers, and some fantastic ones. Of course, much of the writing is done by 20-something law clerks (I was one) whose previous experience was editing long turgid law review articles. The influence of bad academic writing on bad judicial writing became clear pretty quickly, as did the fact that some judges really transcend that challenge. I returned to the same judges multiple times, because their work was wonderful.

Once you have spotted a good opinion, though, the challenge turns to chopping it up. You rarely can afford the space to include an entire opinion. I found myself time and again spending hours on a single opinion, trying to reduce it to its essence and the facts that made it compelling.

When I did that well (and sometimes I was better than others) it was like chiseling a gem to a shape that seems to create light. After a while, it came to feel like an art. As I chipped away words to find the shape of a tragedy (and all of criminal law is tragedy), it reminded me of the way my dad seems to draw a person onto the canvas out of the ether.

Jesus did talk a lot more about what we need to give up than what we need to keep. I have often thought of that only in terms of sacrifice and humility-- cutting away wealth and pride-- but there is something more as well.

Sometimes we must carve away to reveal truth-- the noise, the distractions, the negativity. There is a spiritual value in that, of course, and the season for it begins in just a few weeks. I love Advent. It is coming at just the right time this year.

Saturday, November 11, 2017

 

Mistrial in Waco


After 23 days of trial and 14 hours of jury deliberation, a mistrial was declared in the Waco trial of Jacob Carrizal, the first of 154 people indicted in the 2015 Twin Peaks shoot-out to go to trial.  The Waco Tribune-Herald has a full report. The jury was deadlocked, and it appears that there were no more than six jurors supporting conviction. The process of prosecuting these cases has already cost nearly $1,000,000.

The DA threw everything he had into this one. It will be fascinating to see what happens next...


Friday, November 10, 2017

 

Haiku Friday: Board Games!

With the holidays coming up, and all of the family gatherings that come with them, some of us start to think about board games. After all, it's the one thing that can keep some people from talking about politics! I'm not embarrassed to admit I'm totally intrigued by the new Harry Potter version of Clue, which combines two things I'm lukewarm about but somehow makes so much sense I am dying to see it.

So let's haiku about board games this week: The good games, the bad ones, the people who cheat, the pieces that got lost. C'mon... I know you have a story.

Here, I will go first:

We asked for "Blarf"
Throw cards around and yell "Blarf!!"
Loud, confusing, great.

Now it is your turn... just use the 5/7/5 syllable pattern, and have some fun!


Thursday, November 09, 2017

 

Political Mayhem Thursday: A Commitment to Ghosts

This week I was on a plane sitting next to a guy in a Liberty University sweatshirt. He was coming back from a hunting trip, and he was a talker.

I was reading the paper. He looked over my shoulder (at no story in particular) and said: "It's just terrible, all the crime. I can't believe how bad it's gotten."

Perhaps, I thought, he was referring to the horrible church shooting in Texas, but he assured me it wasn't that when I asked if that was what he was talking about. "I just mean the robberies and murders and rapes. It's out of control." (This is kind of a Fox News trope).

It was a pretty typical comment these days, but it is also completely wrong.  Even with a recent slight uptick in some areas, crime is much lower than it was ten and fifteen years ago. Here is a Gallup chart comparing the actual violent crime rate (bottom line) with what people think the crime rate is (upper line):


So, I told the guy that--I explained that I was a person who studies crime for a living, and that the crime rate had gone down sharply in the past few decades.

He didn't quite... take it in. Instead, he went on to explain the crime rate he was imagining: "It's because of the breakdown in the family. You've got these kids, they have one parent or no parent, and what do you expect?"

I was a little baffled, but I went back to what I knew-- that the crime rate actually was getting better, not worse. There was no crime epidemic to explain.  He kind of nodded, and went back to doing something on an iPad.

Then, about ten minutes later, he leaned over: "But really, it's the fact there is no dads. That's why we are getting all these murders."

I wish this were an isolated incident, but it isn't. It seems that crime and immigration are two "problems" that are politically propping up an entire political party right now. But... how much longer does that work, with the Republicans in power? Will they be able to come up with a new playbook?


Wednesday, November 08, 2017

 

Thanksgiving approaches




Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday. Mostly, I love the idea behind it, and the fact that it is simply about a spiritual value, nothing more and nothing less. I love the time of year, too, that turn from fall to winter when the trees are bare and the ground shivers. The sky can be grey, but then the clouds break and there is no sun like November sun. In Minnesota, we get big fat snowflakes that drift this way and that, looking for exactly the right place to land on the bed of leaves. I refuse to race past all of this bounty to Christmas, because there is too much to enjoy about what there is right now. The next holiday can wait its turn, after Thanksgiving and Advent, thank you.

About now, I always begin thinking about what to be thankful for. It's easy to come up with that list, too-- I have an abundance, unearned.

As I get older, too, I realize how important this is. As I think about that, about gratitude, it turns me away from so much that is negative. You can't compile a gratitude list and not smile now and then. It makes me want to call people, to hold them close, to thank them (and sometimes I do, so don't be scared!).

It's a good thing that is coming, this holiday.

Tuesday, November 07, 2017

 

The Son of a Son


I am the son of an artist who is the son of two artists. I grew up in a house full of paint  and clay and lenses and all sorts of things that get made into images. In his blog this week, my dad talks about how he grew up with the same thing:

I grew up with two artists as parents. Things in our house were carefully placed  to look their very best. Furniture and eating utensils were moved around until they looked just right. I lived in a well designed world. It was important to my parents how things related to the space and objects around them. Snowy boots were not invited into the house and metal toys were not allowed onto the wood floors. This wasn’t always the easiest place for a naturally messy boy to grow up. Also in our home there was controlled clutter. My world included bookcases filled with art books and I could spend time in my father’s areas in the house reserved for working on both his sensible and his silly creations. There was both good design and a little chaos in my dad’s studio, his darkroom  and his basement work room. These were my favorite places and I am still happiest when I am in the midst of a creative project.  Being surrounded by art as a child was a gift.

It's a fascinating story (and I love the old sketches). Check out the whole thing here.


Monday, November 06, 2017

 

That's so Minnesota!


I'm talking, of course, about the Spanish Medievalist's excellent haiku:

Argh, I’m a pirate,
But wait! It is snowing tons,
Pirate with parka.

Sunday, November 05, 2017

 

Sunday Reflection: Solitude

This year has included a lot of solitude. I am finishing up a first-year Crim Law casebook (Contemporary Criminal Law, West Publishing, 2018), and the thing is up around 1,000 pages and over 400,000 words.  It is due to the publisher this coming Friday, and it is going to be done on time (I'm just finishing up some fine-tuning at this point). That all is good-- and I really do think this is going to be a good and worthwhile book.

To get it done, I have had to spend a lot of alone in my office reading and writing. Some days, I didn't interact with anyone else during the work day. My office was a little monastery. At lunch I would walk alone, needing to keep the strand of thought in my head so I could go back in and continue a coherent line. It was like a bubble I could carry with me; I would see people but was invisible as I passed the other way. A city is a good place to be alone.

I don't know that I have had that kind of solitude before in my life. I'm an introvert anyways, but this was a new level of aloneness and focus.

Aloneness is something that Jesus sought sometimes. He retreated to the wilderness for 40 days (much more aloneness than I dealt with!) and was tempted during his solitude (I only had to resist the temptation of Facebook).  At other times, too, he withdrew. There was something important in that.

There is a sense in our society that if you are alone, there must be something wrong. I'm not sure that is healthy. Aloneness can be necessary, and a sense of comfort with aloneness can be a gift (and hard to obtain). Of course, sometimes there is something wrong when people withdraw, and we need to pay attention to that. But... aloneness is not necessarily a failing.



Saturday, November 04, 2017

 

The Lost Song

Do you ever have a song that just kind of haunts your brain, where you can remember snippets of it but never the whole thing? I've had that going on for about two years, and it was driving me nuts. I'd remember a little line from it, or the tune might run through my head, but I could never remember the  title or the group.

Then it popped back to me recently. Here is the song:



It's a good song, actually. The band, General Public, was a mash-up of people from other well-known bands. The two singers were from the English Beat, the guitarist was from The Clash, and the bass player came from Specials. The keyboard player and the drummer were previously in Dexy's Midnight Runners, who you might remember from this song:



Yeesh, those overalls... but it was the 80's. You should see the stuff I wore then!

Friday, November 03, 2017

 

Haiku Friday: Halloween Costumes


It was a pretty awesome Halloween around here. The number of trick-or-treaters was way up, and there were some great costumes. I'm not sure why, but there seemed to be a lot of little chickens out there, for some reason. It was a good look (and warm, which is good in Minnesota in late October when it might snow on you).

So, what did you see- or wear? Let's haiku about the good, the bad, the in-between, from this or any year.

Here, I will go first:

The tiny cowboy
Kept forgetting his one line:
"Trick or... uh... trick or...."

Now it is your turn! Just use the 5/7/5 syllable formula and have some fun!


Thursday, November 02, 2017

 

Political Mayhem Thursday: The Tax Plan

Supposedly, the House Republican leadership will unveil their tax plan today. I won't express much of an opinion on it, since... you know, we don't know what is in it. But maybe by the time you read this we will, and I welcome your comments.

The versions that have been bandied around do raise two concerns for me. Maybe the final version will assuage these doubts, but I would be surprised:

1) I do worry about the deficit. I have for a long time. I have talked about that a lot here. Given President Trump's insistence on a cut in corporate taxation to a 20% rate (from 35%), none of the proposals up to this point have gotten around the fact that they will likely exacerbate the debt.

2) Income inequality was a huge issue for both Republicans and Democrats in the last election. It sure seems like the tax proposals under consideration would make that inequality worse.

What do you think?

Wednesday, November 01, 2017

 

The Switch Witch


Last month I was at a breakfast in DC at the Hart Senate Office Building with one of my Senators, Al Franken. I was on my way to a law enforcement meeting next, and was anxious to hear him talk about the appearance of AG Sessions in front of his committee later that day. I did get to ask a question about it, and got an intriguing response.  It was a worthwhile moment.

Mostly, though, the Senator talked about the "Switch Witch," which he seemed a little obsessed with at that moment. I didn't know about the Switch Witch, which is a apparently a no-back-story character like the Tooth Fairy, but with a different task. Apparently, the Switch Witch shows up the night of Halloween after you have gone to sleep and swaps out all of your candy for some healthy food or a toy horse or something like that.

I'm really torn on this idea. I get the point, sure. Eating a bag of candy over the course of a few days probably isn't that great of an idea for anyone. On the other hand, the Switch Witch seems like a straight-up burglar, some kind of reverse Santa who comes in and takes away what you really want. I would imagine some kids stay up to catch a glimpse of the Switch Witch so that they can waylay her in some way.

So, is this really a thing? Or was Sen. Franken just messing with his constituents?


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