Don't ask , don't tell, in fact, don't do anything at all!

This would be Friday, August 26, 2011, and I suppose even in these economically distressed times, many people still look forward to Fridays, TGIF and all of that. Last year during the August recess a large majority of the Congress scheduled town hall meetings to hear from their constituents. These meetings became very interesting with a lot loud complaints from very angry and boisterous citizens. How dare the taxpayers? Who do they think they are? At any rate, this year is a whole different ballgame. It reminds me of that long running skit from the old Hee Haw show. You know the one where the fellow told the doctor that it hurts when he did a certain thing and the doctor responded by telling him not to do that anymore. That's what our elected officials decided to do. Only 50% of the Republicans scheduled town hall meetings, but get this, that's bad enough, but only 32% of the Democrats chose to meet with those who sent them to Washington. I do wonder why? Most likely, a little of last year's experience is still working on them. It's not as if most folks have anything good to say about any of them, all included. Maybe those who cast votes on our behalf feel like there just isn't that many issues to discuss, or maybe they think things are going good. Or perhaps they are just too busy doing whatever it is they do while on their vacation. Does that image of Nero fiddling while Rome was burning come to mind? That's what I thought of but maybe I'm being just a little too pessimistic. That's right. I almost forgot. We will be hearing some concrete proposals about job creation from the President when he returns from his vacation. Don't hold your breath. At the same time, don't be discouraged because one way or the other God is going to take care of it all. That's a certainty you don't have to wait for a speech before you can count on it. Amen. Hallelujah. Praise the Lord.


Are you still wondering if I have any opinions about how things are going in our country? I am aware that it is easy to be an armchair quarterback and sit on the sidelines and be critical of those who are out on the field. While that is true, we still have an expectation that those who serve as our representatives will do just that, represent us, our values, and our hopes for a good future for our children. I also know the system is in many ways rigged where once folks get into office it's not always easy to get them out, and while it may sound trite, they really are supposed to realize that we, the American taxpayers, are the ones who pay their salaries. Typically, that should make a difference, however, when it comes to Congress, one wonders if that relationship continues to be understood especially after folks have been there for a while. As a young man I worked in three different areas of the Federal government, therefore, I am very much aware how its bureaucratic inefficiencies take on a life of their own and they become self perpetuating. Am I describing a monster here or our government? Yes. One of the reasons it works this way is the built in expectation within itself where folks never turn over or leave the program. Their livelihoods are directly linked to the continued existence and growth of their area and that becomes the objective regardless of any consideration for its value or contribution. Say what you will but the open marketplace, while often called merciless, it does sort out those services that survive as well as those that get killed off. This is what is missing in the mammoth beast we call our government with its myriad of services, and I'm not sure too much can be done about it except maybe some mostly meaningless window dressing here and there. That's why we sit in our armchair and shout at the players on the screen. They can't hear us but it's pretty much all many of us can do. Know what I mean?

We've come to another fork in the road called the weekend. As Yogi said, when you come to the fork in the road, take it, and I think I will. I don't know about you but I've had a fairly busy schedule this week. Lord willing, tomorrow, a couple of the boys and I are going to travel over to Louisiana for a short visit with Mom and Dad. We will be there on a mission. Dad has purchased himself a laptop and we are going to see about getting it up and running and on the internet. Mom has used her little email appliance for many years, in fact, she wore one out and is on the second one. I just happen to think it's great that mom and dad are still wanting to learn and be a part of this technology driven world. We had pretty much given up on watering our yard after receiving some information about water usage, but then the other evening we saw some folks on the news whose foundations, their slabs, had shifted and cracked due to the drought. Knee jerk. Time to water the slab. Forget about the grass and the trees and plants but we sure don't want, if we can help it, to see one of those huge crews on our property digging down to try and reestablish our foundation. Know what? It's always something, and we can always do what we can do that is prudent and right, and then leave the rest in God's hands. End of the work week, therefore, I do hope you will enjoy your Saturday, and that Sunday will find you and your family down at the meeting place where God's people gather. Have a good one and I'll catch up with you next week, Lord willing. Amen.             .......More later.