So I see Warren Buffett wrote an Op Ed suggesting the super rich pay more in taxes. He apparently feels congress "coddles" billionaires like himself. Political commentator Pat Buchanan suggested he lead the way by donating 5 billion of his more than 20 billion estate to the Federal Government. I disagree. He should donate all but 10 million of it. And if he does not? I urge congress to seize all of his property and holdings, here and abroad, and put them towards the deficit. After all, Warren has shown an aptitude for making money and I'm sure in no time at all he will be back on top. In fact, he would probably make several million the first year in speaking fees alone without doing any actual business, and you know what? He should.
I'm not rich, nor am I poor. I work very hard, often in service to those who don't work at all and expect miracles to be performed on their behalf. I listen to class warfare all the time and am always astonished when otherwise intelligent people say something completely disingenuous about the rich "shouldering more of the burden." Warren Buffett is not a young man. He could easily give away most, if not all of his current wealth and live out his days in a simple fashion. I'm sure he gives generously to charity, probably for the same reason I do...tax breaks. And it's not just Buffett on my list.
I remember a country music star opining in a trade magazine that we don't pay enough in taxes as a people. He also openly supported numerous democrats for office including, I believe, the current President. Here is my dilemma. This man came from nowhere and made a success of himself. He works very hard, as far as I can tell, and deserves his just reward. He is deeply involved in charitable giving, going so far as to show up at random clubs where he will play any song requested for a cash donation, and then donate all of the money raised to a worthy cause.
That is leadership, right? He is giving his valuable time and talents to raise money for charity. But, if he really feels there is too little giving (via the government's taxation powers), and supports me paying more of my hard earned income in the form of taxes to support those "less fortunate," (read on public assistance) he should REALLY lead the way. My suggestion?
He should sell ALL of his properties, including a recently completed private island compound, and send all the money raised to the IRS. He is allowed to keep one house free and clear with a value of no more than $450,000. He is allowed to keep, for himself and his family, $100,000 per year of his (and his equally talented wife's) earnings, which is more than most of the country lives on each year. I will make a concession to his employees and say that he can pay for his touring, recording and performing from his gross earnings, then pay himself his annual salary. Everything he earns over and above the cost of touring and his annual salary, including the proceeds from the sale of his properties, excess on recording/performing, acting and the change left in his couch, are to be sent to the Federal government each year for the rest of his life. If he will do that I will pay attention to what he has to say. Rapt attention I might add.
Think it will happen? Me neither. And in case you think I'm bitter, I'm not. To the contrary. I respect the man and his talents very much. I've listened to and enjoyed his music for what seems like more than 20 years, and might be, now that I think of it. I'm simply tired of rich liberal elites proposing that some other rich guy give more in taxes without stepping up to the plate themselves.
Oh, and in case you are curious, or simply not a fan of country music, the performers I refer to are Tim McGraw and his wife, Faith Hill.
Tuesday, August 16, 2011
Saturday, August 13, 2011
Silent Protest
I just saw Avatar for the first time. I refused when it was in the theaters because I will no longer pay to see any movie that pushes an ultra left wing environmental anti-capitalist, anti military view. I'm not so shy about watching it once it hits DVD and I can borrow a friends copy. It was exactly what I expected: Dances With Wolve4s in Space. Perfect tech. Wonderful cinematography. Liberal drek. I'll see the sequel the same way...a year after everyone else.
Friday, August 12, 2011
New York Writ Large
Say New York and most will have a mental image of Manhattan, not any of the other boroughs. Where in Manhattan will depend largely on if your mental picture is derived from television, movies or personal experience. I rarely get there these days, and when I do it is almost always a hurried event, but for me New York is a 20 block section of mid-town radiating out from the Algonquin hotel.
Even though my personal picture of New York tracks largely with the areas often depicted in film, I rarely see the same types of people show on the screen. But every now and then a little bit of the city's vibe can be experienced.
In 2005, after more then a decade without a visit I was in the city, I was treated to what I have always considered the trifecta of quintessential New York street theater. In one 10 minute period I saw a cab driver get into a very loud argument with a man in a limousine trying to get somewhere important; a young lady being literally dragged down the sidewalk by a pack of dogs she was no doubt paid to take out for their business; and a game of three card monte get busted up with the purveyor and his shill each grabbing what they could and fleeing from a very motivated tourist who seemed to have at last caught a hint of his stupidity with an attempt to reclaim his money. While such thing probably happen in other large cities each day, they will always be my picture, right or wrong, of New York.
Even though my personal picture of New York tracks largely with the areas often depicted in film, I rarely see the same types of people show on the screen. But every now and then a little bit of the city's vibe can be experienced.
In 2005, after more then a decade without a visit I was in the city, I was treated to what I have always considered the trifecta of quintessential New York street theater. In one 10 minute period I saw a cab driver get into a very loud argument with a man in a limousine trying to get somewhere important; a young lady being literally dragged down the sidewalk by a pack of dogs she was no doubt paid to take out for their business; and a game of three card monte get busted up with the purveyor and his shill each grabbing what they could and fleeing from a very motivated tourist who seemed to have at last caught a hint of his stupidity with an attempt to reclaim his money. While such thing probably happen in other large cities each day, they will always be my picture, right or wrong, of New York.
A Little Random Riffitation
This blog is NOT about music, per se. Yes, I know a riff is a short measure of music or signature sound. So is spewing an opinion no one really cares about until after they hear it. I Riff on everything in life, generally in conversation. Until now, I’ve Riffed in the written form in an ever growing series of notebooks, binders, sticky notes and once on a mirror in soap, but never where anyone else could actually, you know...read it. Why? Time and effort. It's work to get published these days.
I have written professionally in the past. "Professionally" in that someone other than I or my mother read, enjoyed and published my thoughts and words for others to read and comment on. Every now and then I was even paid for such things. But those were not Riffs. They were assigned articles on specific topics. The editors often removed all of the really good bits of pseudo Riffing, fearing, no doubt, that their readers would “storm the castle walls” as it were in the editors section of the next publication. Nope, in the past, with very few exceptions, my published work was relatively dry. Not any more.
As the name of this blog implies, I tend to write about whatever strikes my fancy. I’m a trained curmudgeon and have an opinion on virtually everything. There is no real rhyme or reason to what I may include here. Unlike many blogs with specific areas of interest - and bloggers who actually have dogged focus on an objective - I may rant about politics one day and marvel at a wonderful cloud formation the next. Reviews of movies, books, plays and street performance will crop up out of nowhere and my daily observations of life in general will be an ever present theme. Why, you may ask, would I wish this sort of thing on the world?
Because I am a satirist at heart. I write, as do most writers, for my own enjoyment and if someone else likes what I present, so much the better. Formal writing is, as they say, re-writing. A first draft of anything should never see the light of day, especially as much of it is written at night. Even a second draft, generally speaking, is little better. Unfortunately the nature of blogging seems to be that what little time is available to do it goes into 1.) Thinking up a post, 2.) Drafting that post, and 3.) Publishing that post. Often in the same amount of time it took for you to read that last bit of enlightenment. I tell you this by way of apologizing, in advance, for my horrible spelling, punctuation and grammar. Yes, yes...I know. I claim to be a writer of sorts and I should be better at those pesky little subtleties. And you are correct. However I would refer you to the third sentence of this paragraph.
Under normal circumstances I would write a bit, wash it through a spell checker/grammar evaluator, and only then allow it to see the light of day for purposes of...re-writing it. That is NOT going to happen in the time frame I have for this ever expanding tome. Also, as in the title, I sometimes elect to misspell words, make “mashups,” or simply slaughter the Kings English as it were. And before you ask, I do in fact have a well read copy of Strunk and White’s The Elements of Style, as well as The Chicago Manuel of Style, and I couldn't care less.
I've read Cormac McCarthy and know that following the elements of style and form set out by others is not required to tell a gripping and successful story. I once flunked an English class or three (but was elected class speaker based upon my Riffs) and am more than able to continue my ways without getting great grades at it. What I have to do is entertain the reader and tell a good story. That is what makes Riffing work for me. Hopefully that is what will be enjoyable about these Riffs for you, the reader (or victim as the facts may be.)
So, thank you for finding my little blog, and taking the time to read it. Please let others know if you found it entertaining or otherwise worth a few minutes of your time.
I have written professionally in the past. "Professionally" in that someone other than I or my mother read, enjoyed and published my thoughts and words for others to read and comment on. Every now and then I was even paid for such things. But those were not Riffs. They were assigned articles on specific topics. The editors often removed all of the really good bits of pseudo Riffing, fearing, no doubt, that their readers would “storm the castle walls” as it were in the editors section of the next publication. Nope, in the past, with very few exceptions, my published work was relatively dry. Not any more.
As the name of this blog implies, I tend to write about whatever strikes my fancy. I’m a trained curmudgeon and have an opinion on virtually everything. There is no real rhyme or reason to what I may include here. Unlike many blogs with specific areas of interest - and bloggers who actually have dogged focus on an objective - I may rant about politics one day and marvel at a wonderful cloud formation the next. Reviews of movies, books, plays and street performance will crop up out of nowhere and my daily observations of life in general will be an ever present theme. Why, you may ask, would I wish this sort of thing on the world?
Because I am a satirist at heart. I write, as do most writers, for my own enjoyment and if someone else likes what I present, so much the better. Formal writing is, as they say, re-writing. A first draft of anything should never see the light of day, especially as much of it is written at night. Even a second draft, generally speaking, is little better. Unfortunately the nature of blogging seems to be that what little time is available to do it goes into 1.) Thinking up a post, 2.) Drafting that post, and 3.) Publishing that post. Often in the same amount of time it took for you to read that last bit of enlightenment. I tell you this by way of apologizing, in advance, for my horrible spelling, punctuation and grammar. Yes, yes...I know. I claim to be a writer of sorts and I should be better at those pesky little subtleties. And you are correct. However I would refer you to the third sentence of this paragraph.
Under normal circumstances I would write a bit, wash it through a spell checker/grammar evaluator, and only then allow it to see the light of day for purposes of...re-writing it. That is NOT going to happen in the time frame I have for this ever expanding tome. Also, as in the title, I sometimes elect to misspell words, make “mashups,” or simply slaughter the Kings English as it were. And before you ask, I do in fact have a well read copy of Strunk and White’s The Elements of Style, as well as The Chicago Manuel of Style, and I couldn't care less.
I've read Cormac McCarthy and know that following the elements of style and form set out by others is not required to tell a gripping and successful story. I once flunked an English class or three (but was elected class speaker based upon my Riffs) and am more than able to continue my ways without getting great grades at it. What I have to do is entertain the reader and tell a good story. That is what makes Riffing work for me. Hopefully that is what will be enjoyable about these Riffs for you, the reader (or victim as the facts may be.)
So, thank you for finding my little blog, and taking the time to read it. Please let others know if you found it entertaining or otherwise worth a few minutes of your time.
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