It must be me

The White House trying to dictate who's a news organization. Democrats out to gut a business group. Obama media allies damning Americans as racist, unpatriotic and treasonous. Is this the America Obama promised when he campaigned to end the cynical and divisive politics of the past?--Steve Huntley, Chicago Sun-Times

There. I did it. I went and posted something. Despite the best efforts of our elected politicians, I have been working too much. Way too much. And with that said, that’s a fact, not whining on my part.

I went and used a personal day for today. I went and got me a three-day weekend I needed to do nothing of note and recharge. Fantasy football and not much else, thank you very much.

Let’s see here, I’ve received 36 ‘friend’ requests from Facebook users since late Sunday night, not a one of which I know. I’m not sure what’s afoot there, but people need to know going in that I rarely, if ever, post anything there. Here’s the scoop on my joining Facebook.

After some Herculean efforts on both mine and my daughter’s part, this is what we learned of my father’s exploits since 1962: He was separated from and eventually divorced from his second (?) wife in 1982. And it’s suspected that he than relocated to the Seattle area to work for an aerospace giant. That’s it. That’s all of it.

So, I was advised that by joining Facebook, I could further my reach on the internet and possibly connect with people that may have come to be related to or acquaintances of my father since early 1962; ex wives, ex girlfriends, co-workers, children, step-children, who knows? Who knows what's gone on during the 46 years since last I laid eyes on my father?

That’s about all I hoped to get, or glean, from Facebook. Personally, I think these networking sites are lame at best, and effeminate (politically correct word) at worst.

And with that, if you must, you can now rescind all of those friend requests unless you happen to be my father’s offspring. Sorry and all, but I don’t think it’s too much to ask to meet one’s father just once as an adult.

What else? Um, my daughter Ebon tripped on the steps and fractured her left foot. Fourth metatarsal. Figure that one out. She’s put in a few thousand hours practicing and playing and coaching volleyball, softball and baseball at the youth league, high school and college levels without suffering a scratch. But the yearning for a bottle of soda pop put her on the disabled list.

Major kudos to both Gort and Dave for their excellent coverage of the local political races.

You know, the self-enamored Steve Corbetts of the world can badmouth polibloggers all they want. But it’s safe to say that in the last month, both Dave and Gort have put more effort into exploring the local races as any local radio talk show host has. We sit in our underwear at a computer, and they sit in their underwear at a microphone. If there’s a difference there, a distinction, I fail to see it.

Rather than sniping at blogs and bloggers, why not just see them as what they are: just another informational piece of the overall puzzle. Rather than accepting know-it-all Corbett’s word for everything, read the papers, listen to talk radio and then explore a few local blogs. Get a sprinkling of all of it and then get on out there and vote "like a champion," whatever that means.

I heard an ad on WILK paid for by the Wil Toole bunch, in which a reference was made to “inexperienced republicans,” i.e., Walter Griffith. What kind of insufferable malarkey is that? That'd be laughable if it wasn't so infuriatingly dolt-like.

What? Are inexperienced republicans somehow inherently inferior to indicted democrats? Or in Wil Toole’s case, are inexperienced republicans somehow inherently inferior to recycled democrats? Further, are inexperienced republicans less electable than recycled democrats backed by a bevy of well-known recycled democrats?

If Toole is an independent, I’m a retired NFL strong safety.

“Why not write about that?” Okay, I’ll bite.

Anonymous has left a new comment on your post "PNC ethics code questions":

It has been a very very long time since I read your blog.... and can I ask you.........seriously?... are you crazy?... I don't know Bob personally, and I may or may not vote for him on election day... but I was at the debate this past monday (I may have been the only non walter griffith plant in the audience), and I will say he gave a very clear answer on this issue... In fact, it doesn't take a brilliant person to realize the work he does has nothing to do with what you mentioned... The man handles peoples money as an INVESTOR... As I said, I may or may not vote for him... maybe Will Toole, but it is incredibly clear to me that you just took this talking point from Walter Griffith... If you were at the debate you would have realize how lame this is and removed this post from your usually enjoyable blog... Either Bob.. Or Wil... But no chance of Griffth and his nonsense...

P.S. He actually said you don't need to know about finance to be controller.... Why not write about that?

Posted by Anonymous to Circumlocution for Dummies at October 28, 2009 6:56 PM

You don’t need to know about finance to be controller? He actually said that? Allah H. Christ! Somebody ought to skull that freakin' hammerhead! What was he thinking?

While that was obviously a poor choice of words on his part, judging by recent history, his point was spot-on accurate. Deadly accurate, in fact.

What have we had of late? A.J. Martinelli, Maryanne Petrilla, Steve Flood, Tom Pizano and that’s all I can recall off of the top of my pointy little head. Oh, and the democrats really pushed long and hard to have Andy Reilly elected to that position. Andy Reilly, the then mayor of a plot of land too small to qualify as an acre.

Now tell me, have any of those aforementioned people ever worked on Wall Street? Are there many financial geniuses in that motley bunch? Methinks not.

With the exception of Steve Flood, the thing those people have in common is that while they were the controller, the county continued to bleed red ink while taking on more outstanding debts. And we’re talking untold tens of millions in red ink and outstanding debts. It seems to me that there hasn’t been much controlling going on.

And while that was happening with nary a protest, red flag, or forensic audit from any controller sans Steve Flood, evidenced by the still ongoing FBI corruption probes, too-numerous-to-list elected and appointed officials were fleecing the taxpayers every which way they could.

Again, Walter’s point was spot-on. As our recent past clearly demonstrates, you need not know about finances to be the county controller. What you need to know is how to look the other way, sit on your hands and zip your lip.

The man handles peoples money as an INVESTOR...

Nothing against Bob Morgan, but the only people getting rich off of our investments are the insider people playing the investment game. Do this, do that, and by the time you reach retirement age, you’ll be a millionaire living abroad in a country where having five underage teenaged wives is not illegal. Isn’t that the picture they’ve been painting all along? The oodles and oodles of money, the ice-cold Corona, the beach and the topless girls rubbing your, um, feet?
And how’s that working out so far? These so-called investors are the people pulling down the big bucks, not us. And due to the clear lack of needed oversight, going forward, I see stocks and investments in general as one giant shell game, if not, an outright con game at times.

You want to plan for your eventual retirement? Map out the nearest Salvation Army thrift store and grab the appropriate bus schedule. Done.

Here’s my investment tip, absolutely free of course.

In a perilously uncertain world flush with the latest in high-tech weaponry, invest in defense contractors here and abroad. Run that by Bob Morgan and get back to me on that.

Here’s the scoop on Walter.

Does he misspeak? Yeah, he’s done that on occasion. Missteps? I guess. Is he ugly? Perhaps a little. Have I butted heads with him in the past? Sure have. And most of that can be attributed to his penchant for seeing every dollar spent as an expense. Where he saw expenses, I sometimes saw necessary investments in our future as a city. But the greater point is, the relentless SOB questions everything.

So, assuming he wins next Tuesday, shutters his business and becomes a fulltime controller, having him questioning everything is a bad thing in a county going down the drain financially? That’s a bad thing?

And if we believe the persistent rumors to be true, that the courthouse is nothing more than an uncontrolled petty cash fund for the well-connected, their inept friends and their under performing relatives, I can think of no better monkey wrench (pun intended) to throw in there than Walter Griffith.

He may have warts and all, but he’s the true independent in this race, beholding to no one. And that’s why Morgan and Toole have tag teamed him every step of the way since the election season first started to heat up. Because he’s the one candidate the long-entrenched democrats fear the most. With the FBI breathing down very many of their sweaty backs, the very last thing they need at this moment is somebody sifting through those dusty books piled in the bowels of the courthouse basement.

Am I crazy?

Well, I would not bet against it. But my suspected descent into insanity has nothing to do with who I intend to vote for very early next Tuesday morning.

You can vote for the smart-ass who claims to be smart. You can vote for the recycled democrat posing as an independent reformer. Or you can vote for the “pain-in-the-ass” wild card.

And guess what? I didn’t need to attend any meet-the-candidate forums to follow that. I didn't need to see two democrats looking for every opportunity to dispatch with the upstart republican.
I didn't need to watch the two status quo candidates making like pit bulls.

And to Bob Morgan...what’s up with that ridiculous commercial of yours?

We wouldn’t “hire a mechanic to…” (???)

Really? In the county that hired an offensive lineman and a polka queen to help run the county into the financial abyss, a mechanic is an unthinkable choice?

A successful small businessman is a joke? And this comes from a guy who creates imaginery money on paper, imaginery money that instantly disappears with every unpredictable ebb and flow of the easily manipulated financial world?

The guy that provides a valuable service with easily measurable results is belittled by the guy who delivers wait-and-see, often pie-in-the-sky, maybe/maybe not, 'but keep sending those checks' possibilities that may go up in smoke the very next time George Soros decides to manipulate a currency or a banking system?

It must be me.

Time to scout the fantasy injury updates.

Later