Carolyn Whitney Sabol

When memory keeps me company I think of our first born, Carolyn. the first baby and a delight. As with all first born she was special. Although it was written that fear of falling is an inherited trait to be avoided I did toss her up and caught her falling a few inches to see the reaction. each time she would hold her breath and giggle with laughter. As she grew I would toss her higher and higher and she was always delighted and asked for more until she was heavy enough that I could no longer toss her any higher. As with all the little ones I would beg a ride to a road several miles from home where I would place her in a pack basket on my back and head through the woods for home. Those trips were so interesting because even when going through the jabbering period none of the children ever spoke more than a word and if not questioned would not be heard from during the hours of hiking. When brush would switch Carolyn in the face she would say a quick "ouch!" and that was all. When questioned if she were alright she would then say, "yes." and that was all. Carolyn was affectionate, full of fun and beautiful and a well organized young lady and apple of my eye. Visiting her college in Ohio for Dad's weekends were quite some adventures.It was a time when no band of musicians could play loud enough to please the students. At one dance the 6 foot high boom boxes one on top of another and all around the auditorium were so loud there must have been complaints from a mile away.
I had to get out or become deaf long before I actually did years later. Wile walking with Carolyn's boy friend, John Sabol, he asked me, "Doctor Whitney, how would you feel about your daughter and I shaking up together?" Well now, what to say. My little girl shaking up with this unknown quantity. Perhaps I should have said, "Give me a week to think about it" but I said, "You are two adults and should know what's best for you both." And then wondered about the future. They shacked up and were married a year or so later. I am reminded of our family physician, Dr. Robert Gordon who ' after exrays of my back were examined said, "I hsve advice for you, do whatever you want to do because that's what you will do anyway." They are a good team working together. After several moves they have settled down where Carolyn has a business of bookkeeping mostly for non profit groups and a special non profit, her father here in Brattleboro. Once a month we have some togetherness that is special while she tidies up my bookkeeping, balances the books and jokes along with me. She could have been an executive by her abilities. She was given the highest honor of her area for her work and a huge dinner with notables and awards. Work well done rewarded. Ah me she is well into middle age and still affectionate and smarter than ever. They have embraced a new venture by creating a liquor store and have become experts in wine tasting and dispensing. In my quest for a wine I like Carolyn's suggestion taking any wine and slowly adding sugar until it's just the way I like it. So far so good but If I offer you a glass of wine be sure to ask how much sugar is in the glass. Always an investigator she recently passed her driving test to drive her new motorcycle and she goes through city traffic as will as country.So now a new motto is be kind to motorcyclists.

The Baloney of Changing the Health Csre System

I have a bunch of uncivilized cuss words I would like to use about changing the health care system but use your own for me to be most effective. It is utterly outrageous to talk about anyone other than the doctors themselves changing that system. The argument should be defined as changing the access to the health care system that has evolved by virtue of trial and error by leaders of our human medical profession. Again, it is the access to that profession and nothing more we are being bombarded by so many dummies who apparently know nothing about the nature of the system.
Why not call a spade a spade and get the issues out in the open. Our legislators have had the opportunity for 50 years or more to do something like all other countries have long ago done but have done nothing. Do you want the corporations that have had the chance and flubbed it to continue to have control of the access or the government? It is those who are paid by and are supposed to represent our government by way of the ballot box who are blubbering about not letting the very organization they are supposed to represent take the reins to correct such an injustice.
OK, From now on is the time for candidates who want the government to do something the corporations failed to do, to stand before we the people and show the bums up as to what they have descended to. That is lobbyists bought and paid for in the interest of other than we the voters. If I were a candidate I would list why you should throw out or not elect candidates for the following reasons.
1.S/he Knows the corporations have failed the people in access to health care.
2.Everyone knows and admits that access to health care is, "broken".
3.Other than the Government who is around to fix what some call the broken system?
4.Vote for me and I will work for access to the excellent health care we all should be entitled to.
5.All working for the corporations against the solution of this problem must wear a big emblum, "Lobbyist, bought and paid for."

Os Penis bones

While being interviewed by an author, let's call her Laura, about my early life the subject of raccoons came up and Laura, being professional,asked many questions about that misnamed mammal. Missed named because the Latin for Procyon lotor means washer of food. The raccoon is really a feeler of anything interesting including fecal matter. When the interview was concluded I decided to present a raccoon os penis bone to Laura. I have saved a collection from days of yore. She was amazed and interested. I explained that raccoons and their relatives, bears had bones as part of that organ. Elaborating, I mentioned that dogs and all canines and many other such have bones as part of that organ. Apparently, on arriving home the os penis bone became the object of conversation over the dinner table. Their teen aged son was impressed enough to bring that new knowledge to school with him and shortly afterword my author friend appeared at the school and was asked into an office by teachers and confronted with questions about such calcium deposits as the young student had shared with his classmates. My friend Laura, just happened to have the actual penis bone in her purse. I'm sure I don't know why she carried it in her purse, and produced it for the teachers to wonder over. Somehow my description had been changed to cause Laura to think I had said that on death the bone I had given her had materialized. The obvious question was, "Does that happen to all animals? Mankind, too?' Apparently there were no male teachers involved and if so that question would have been be a delicate one for a female teacher to ask. Hmmm. Daughter, Lee was involved as she was the one who introduced Laura to me and was given a rundown of the mystique of the world of os penis bone in the schoolhouse by Laura. Lee said she had never heard her father mention the creation of such after death. At last I, the "authority" on os penis bones, was informed of the situation. Somehow I refuse to be so misquoted and so this blog is to help clear the air.
To further clear the air be it noted that I was raised as a coon hunter by a coon hunter and it took some introspection before I concluded that to kill living things for the fun of it is wrong and will one day be so thought by the majority of our people. Perhaps at this point in the evolution of civilization we are slowly and actually becoming civilized creatures. One day we may even stop killing other humans.

Lee, My Daughter

This is a most difficult blog as I so not think I have the ability to give the subject the credit she deserves. It concerns a personal decision as where to migrate to after my wife of 45 years had died. It's a decision that is more common to women than to we men. I had three opportunities from three of my four children. My first requirement was to be no burden to anyone with whom i might become associated. Daughter, Lee had always been the most sensitive of the four children and came after her mother, Nancy and I had decided that spanking was not a choice of discipline as it had rarely been for the other three. When Lee's Mother died of pancreatic cancer it was Lee who seemed to be the most devastated of the three. Lee had come to live with us until she flew the nest and married an attractive Vietnamese, Anh Ha. They had two boys who have grown to be exceptional young men both graduated from college Leon and Chuck (sometimes called by his middle name, Dana). Lee and Anh are divorced and i now reside in a renovated barn behind their house in Brattleboro, Vermont. I shall attempt to describe why this is the ultimate solution for the ending of my life that so far has been a vacation. A new beginning at 90 years of age. This pad is only part of the satisfaction and pleasure I have. The village and people, and climate and the striking beauty of the countryside are also major reasons for my joy. That leaves Lee as the most important part. She does not act the part of a parent but she is in reality just that. Not a dictatorial parent and never over asserting herself but always trying to anticipate my needs and even my desires. She encouraged me to bring masses of correspondence along with me. My collection of records including bauddy ones and the equipment to play them on. She has conducted me around not only the town but the byways, too. She seems to know half the people in town and wants me to know them, too. She takes pleasure of doing all sorts of carpentry work and nasonery and gardening as well as the landscaping with beauty in flowers a constant joy for all to behold. She is deeply concerned with political situatuons as am I.Lee checks up on her old man regularly and invariably in a few minutes of her entering we both are laughing. She radiates good will and happiness and it seems to be contagious. She has the figure of a 31 year old beauty in spite of her 51 years and still beautiful. Lee Whitney is one remarkable human being and a tribute to her ancestry. One of the most important objects in my life is to live a little longer to enjoy my life with such an exceptional daughter.

I

Economic solution via corporations

Erika, I have the answer to our economic problems so adopt it and let's get on with the good that come from the government as it was before corporations screwed it up. The answer is simple and one adopted by many non profit corporations. If you can't beat them, JOIN THEM. Let it furthermore be known as THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, INCORPORATED. under that heading make all other corporations subsidiaries with only honest legislators on the Boards of Directors. So where does the income come from to run such a massive Corporation? From the profits of each Corp.,stupid. Of course there would be no taxes with that income. When this plan is put before the public imagine the rush to enact the necessary legislation. When the public hears that from this time on there will never be any TAXES the votes will be there unless the corporations pay off enough more legislators to defeat the plan. We may have to hire armed mercenaries to be sure the legislators vote right. The N.R.A. can supply the mercenaries. That plan is so obvious in changing the effort for a reasonable health care plan because there will never more be a problem controlling health care expenses with the incomes from the thousands of corporations.Of course if a corporation goes belly up the board of directors will all go immediately to jail.
With the profits each citizen becomes a stock holder of all corporations and with that income each can have a new American built car every year. The work week can be reduced to three half days a week with two months vacation every year. LET'S GO. SEND THIS TO ALL ON YOUR MAILING LIST FROM VILLAGE TO FARM AND WE SHALL RIDE AND SPREAD THE ALARM. This s story will show that corporations did not destroy the Republic as Abraham Lincoln predicted but made the Republic an example for the end of time.
Who can build on this idea? Let me know. GDW

The United States of America, Inc.

We voted President Obama to be our leader with one plank of his platform, "change." We all know our legislators, at least the majority have bought and paid for. It isn't necessary to purchase all of them. a majority of one is enough. So here is a suggestion for President Obama to adopt to fulfill hes promise of, "change." This suggestion is right in line with the desires of so many who insist they are against our government. Create a huge corporation, The United states of America, Incorporated. From the minute the corporation comes into being every smaller corporation will suddenly become a public entity. Think of it. So many corporations owned by the public with all the dividends from stocks going directly into our treasury. Think of it! No more taxes. They would be unnecessary with the profits. We could retire our countries debt in a few years. There would be plenty of cash for all the things we are presently taxed for. Sidewalks, transportation, new shoes and food all government issue. The present corporations would elect their Boards of Directors and the boards would hire the best Company President they could and pay what they could for the services. The huge pay offs these company Presidents would be paid would be in in stock and cash which would be paid directly into the treasury of the Mother Corporation. Records of income into the Treasury would be published and lists of workers would be listed in categories so those in the upper income group would be the real heroes of our country. Special credit would be given in donations to the treasury from special inventions such as the electric toothbrush and the robot foster mother. Think of it , without money there would be no purpose for crime. After all who would hold up a bank to get stock destined for the treasury and not edible. The big city crime like Enron would be of no bragging rites. To be most successful would be to rise up levels of income listings for the recognition the publicity would result in. Every year there could be a day long party of recognition of the big investors and ribbons given to each of a color indicating the level of contribution for the year. Hurry and tell President Obama there is a way out of the corporate mess we are in.

Us at a Crosdsroads

Right, it should be, "We" excepting the, "Us" is the United States to me in this situation. This concerns the contest between those who want real change in the health care situation and those who do not like the proposals presented. On another more basic level it is a contest between those of us who like our government's way of doing business versus the corporation's way. That being the reasons for the positions taken we know the reasons differ. The corporations work first and foremost to make money for a few and the government works for what those in power think the people want.The Contest thus is narrowed to votes to keep the legislator in office and the power of money to pay for the legislator to run a campaign to convince his constituents of the corporation's best interests. Of the legislators who have benefited more than others from the corporations power and that means money, they will be most vocal in favor of the corporations. If the issue is powerful enough the voters will win for if the vote is contrary to the desires of the people they will vote him or her out of office and the issue will prevail eventually. Granted there are legislators who are independent and therefore may be called Statesmen in the best sense of the word and excepting my Vermont three who qualify, Franks and Waxman come to mind. In the spirit of fairness there are issues that coincide with the best wishes of both parties. In the present case it seems to me that those who are most anti outspoken will be voted out of office if they are up for election in 2010. If you and I can show our legislators that if they let the public down we will vote for legislators who will win by taking the position of the people. This contest places our government at a crossroads because if the insurance interests overcome the wishes of the public this time it indicates our congress is irreparably bought and paid for, forever and that Abraham Lincoln's prediction, "With the advent of the corporation will be the demise of the republic."
What do you think?

The Plight of the Conservtives

In my 90 years of political observations I have never observed such a downfall of a political movement as with the current view of voters all over our country. As I see it here are some facts:
1. It appears that conservatives got us into the mess our economy is in.
2. They have only one present position of advice to offer and that is only against the efforts to extricate ourselves.
3. After denouncing virtually every effort by those who are offering possible corrections they find it fruitless to argue constantly in the negative with no ideas of their own.
4. All other thoughts being fruitless they have orchestrated disruptive efforts at Democratic Town Meetings. There are no disruptions at Republican Town Meetings.
5. At Republican Town Meetings the speakers, one after another speak in the negative about issues Republicans may have suggested in committees considering possible bill wordings. Never do they produce a stack of paper to show their contributions as Democrats do.
6. Knowing that some of the Conservatives will have to defend their positions to the voters next year many have preferred not to run for their office again. The Governor of Vermont is an example.
7. The constant bitter flavor of an unnecessary and even evil war has been brought to a tragic level by the Conservatives that has caused more animosity world wide than by any other conceivable efforts on our part that we could be guilty of. The Conservatives have thus dug a hole from which there is no, even faint hope of extricating themselves, on the Republican horizon for future success other than working for the failure of the liberal efforts. That, too is a dead end effort.
8. Furthermore the conservatives do not have even a slightly charismatic, intelligent member to attempt a rebuttal of the present situation.
9. Finally, the vast majority of conservatives are not inclined to stand up and be counted any more than a leper of the past. Could this be labled, "Death by design?"

Improving School Performance

This is about low performing schools and is a good example of things mentioned and things unmentioned that outrage me and I hope you, too. C-Span covered a conference sponsored by "Aspin Institute" entitled, "Improving School Performance." There were class educators on all levels including political and those in every level of eduction. The best of those speaking barely touched on the real problem and didn't define it. It seems to me that the problem must be defined to be able to solve it. Don't you agree that that is a reasonable approach? It is a scientific approach.
Here is the problem: In low performing schools the product presented to kindergarten is, for the age for kindergarten, intellectually deficient. When such a student is presented the teacher, Principal, the Superintendent of Schools should all shout, "How dare you present an ill prepared student to our school? For shame!" It is not the Teacher's or the Principal's or the Superintendent of School's problem. It is societies problem. In another sense it is a problem with opportunity. If accepted, the ill prepared child may well eventually be athletically superior. Statistically that is probably accurate. How can a teacher discover the intellectual deficiencies in a kindergarten age student? A simple vocabulary, reading and writing test designed for the average of well educated kids of kindergarten age would be easy enough to prepare. To flunk it may be something like Autism or the usual poor exposure to the early education compared to most of the kids in the high performance schools. That poor little kid who seems so bright is bright and if it had been given the opportunity would have adsorbed the information needed for kindergarten that might lead to the student's being a world class scientist. So if that is the problem what is the answer? The answer is for mother and child to start school together at shortly after day one of life. Another attempt might be to establish "Cottages" for which locals are trained by local trained residents to add to the love and affection that is present for most babies, training including vocabulary, music, poetry, letters and words leading to reading and writing at that young age. Imagine all children starting on an equal playing field and perhaps an improved field than many affluent youngsters are brought up in. With such a plan adopted imagine the 45% male high school dropouts would vanish and those who would have been dropouts would have the advantage of an opportunity to reach personal heights. To coin a phrase, I am pissed that we all don't do something about that obvious and correctable situation. Science tells that with birth intellectualism continues and that the early days are of great importance. It all adds up to a question defined and a solution. QED as they used to say in geometry.