Wednesday Morning - 9/12/2012

I am not sure if it coincidence or not, if Romney made statements before incidents happened, but I think his statements this morning, about the events in  Benghazi sealed his fate. That was not the time to be critical. That was a time he should have proclaimed solidarity, made positive statements, not trying to put the blame on his opponent.

In my mind, he just lost the election, and fell into an unforeseen trap that was just waiting to happen. Such an incident was almost predictable to happen, somewhere, for some reason. It happened and he fell in.

What happened was tragic, and it happened on 9/11. Coincidence?

I have always stated that a political campaign is much like a symphonic orchestra. I am not sure who is writing the score, but the conductor is one Barack Obama.

The "symphony" is playing now, the crescendo probably in early October with the finale a few days before the election. The "maestro" was at the podium this morning, Hillary by his side, and his opponent, off somewhere, putting his foot in his mouth. You just have to love politics.

Brad Dooley has a Birthday - 21 May 2012

Who, you ask, is Brad Dooley?

Well, he is my Son, actually, Joseph Bradford Dooley, II. At times, I wish I had done more for him, but when I look at him today, and primarily what he has done and become, I could not be prouder. I remember taking him fishing, playing for the old Holton Trotters, a Little League Baseball Team, he saw KISS, went to Michigan, probably more times than he wanted, went to Cheyenne during Rodeo Days, whatever we did, must have been right.

He was the cause of one of the most memorable days in my life, the day that Navy recruiter drove up to our house on Montgomery Road, early one morning, and in a split second, took him away. I remember my wife and I just looked at each other, our son was suddenly gone. I will never forget the emotions of that morning.

Perhaps the "highest" of the "highs," was his wedding, a few years ago, at The Would, in Highland, New York. One of the owners there is his sister, Debra, and it was a "highlight reel" wedding, met our whole new wonderful family. We are very proud of our son, and his brothers and sisters, Debra, Dean, Melissa and of course, the birthday boy, Brad.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY ..... Joseph Bradford Dooley II, Brad.

My birthday on the 30th

The 30th of this month, I will have a birthday, number 79, I am old.

One of the problems of being 78, I found, was when people asked, "How old are you?" my best answer, was often, "high seventies." It is difficult to remember many things at this advanced age, and trying to remember a number is one of the hardest. I often just replied, "Still above ground."

Many people don't make it to 79, perhaps I shouldn't brag, I still have a week or so to go before that day.

I am assuming that ALL of my children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren are saying to themselves, "What can I/we get for Dad, Grandfather and Great Grandfather." Quite a dilemma.

Pills would be nice, we spend a fortune on pills each month. I don't need any clothes, I just wear this sweatshirt and a pair of shorts, in the Winter months I wear sweatpants and already have one pair. Dr. Franks Joint and Muscle Pain Relief would be nice, I squirt a lot of that under my tongue, three times a day, and it does seem to help. It cut my Joint and Muscle Pain Relief in half.

I am not incontinent, as of today, so diapers are out of the question. Who wants to hear, "Oh, gosh, diapers, just what I needed."

I don't wear socks much, shoes are hard enough to get on, socks are a real problem. They have long shoe horns and things for shoes, but nothing to help putting on socks, so I just don't wear them much. My feet feel like they have them on all the time anyway, I forget what the Doctor called that.

We have four blood pressure taking machines, two walkers and a porta-pot, and most precious of all, a lot of  good memories to look back on, combined with "Easy Listening" on the TV (listening to that right now), great listening music, 939 on our remote.

So, while I still have some "health" left, and can walk, I saw an ad the other day for an "ElderWheeler," remote four wheeling for the elderly, that's what I want. I wrote to them, the mailman just left, and their brochure should be here today. I don't have much to look forward to in the mail anymore, my Wife gets Direct Deposit on my SS check, so don't have that to look forward to anymore. She still gives me my $20 allowance on the "third," but it's just not the same.

OK, back from the mailbox, envelope from "ElderWheeler," .... I tear open the envelope, a letter thanking me for the inquiry, photograph enclosed ........... anticipation to see the unit .......

Ronald Reagan

Ronald Reagan, the nation's 40th president, would have turned 100 this coming Sunday.


As we approach the Ronald Reagan centennial, the nation remains split on his legacy.

Twenty-two years after he left office, and nearly seven years after his death, the nation is still split on his legacy.

There is little question that he is one of the most celebrated presidents in our history. But the record is decidedly mixed. He is widely regarded as the icon of the conservative movement, who came to office promising change and who remains today a beloved figure, not only with the right but with many Americans. But his record after two terms as president often didn't match the rhetoric, not everyone benefited from his "Morning in America" cheerfulness, and his tenure ended in scandal.

So who, and what, was Ronald Reagan?

One thing is clear. Bill Clinton may have been the man from Hope, and Barack Obama certainly campaigned on hope. But Ronald Reagan was the embodiment of hope. And of optimism. And he came to the White House at the perfect time, after Richard Nixon, Gerald Ford and Jimmy Carter left so much to be desired in the presidency, and when the nation was crying out for hope.

Yes, Reagan was a Hollywood actor, and many saw him as little more than that. But one thing few disagreed with was that he was a great communicator. And when he gave that famous speech on behalf of Barry Goldwater in October 1964 — "A Time for Choosing" — conservatives knew that they had a candidate in the making.

Reagan entered the 1966 race for governor of California against two-term incumbent Pat Brown. In one of the earliest examples of underestimating Reagan's skill as a candidate, the Democrats were thrilled to run against him. An extremist, they said. A second-rate actor with no political experience, they sniffed.

As governor, Brown had his own problems. He was at the helm when Watts burned after the 1965 riots and when college campuses began to erupt. And the economy was hurting.

Reagan won by a million votes.

He ran as a conservative and governed, for the most part, as a conservative. He cracked down on student unrest at the state university campuses. He drastically cut the state budget, the brunt of which fell on the poor. But he also raised taxes, to a record level, and he signed a bill that liberalized abortion rights. These are just some examples of how his ideology could be at odds with his practicality. And it played well at home, for the most part. In 1970, he easily won re-election, by a half-million votes, over state Assembly Speaker Jesse Unruh.

I will never forget the image of a "perfect" First Lady, Nancy Reagan, at his funeral, and the devotion she displayed, right till the end. Regardless of politics, Ronald Reagan was the perfect image of an American President.