Why the U.S. may recognize Cuba

The conventional wisdom has always been that the the United States can never have normal relations with Cuba because the politician who proposes such a thing will lose Florida in a presidential election. Yesterday Jeb Bush indicated he will run for president. If he runs he will probably get the Republican nomination. A popular former governor, as a candidate he will probably win in his home state, Florida.

President Obama must figure that for years Democrats have been afraid of proposing normal relations because of a fear of losing Florida in an election. However, in 2016 there is no need to worry about making Floridians mad since they are going to vote Republican anyway. In the electoral college system, losing by one hanging chad or 20 percent is the same. So why not lose Florida in a big way rather than a small way and have an ambassador in Cuba.

It's like the kid who knows he is going to get yelled at if he arrives home ten minutes late or two hours late. He figures he might as well get home two hours late and have a good time. In for a penny in for a pound.

I guess my nails are too long

This is the time of year when you start getting Christmas gifts, or in my case, this is for Christmas and your birthday gifts. Today I got a package in the mail. The sender is a total mystery. It is a fancy manicure set.

I have always thought of myself as the dapper, well groomed man. Once every season I get a haircut. Once a month I cut my toenails and twice a month I even cut my fingernails. Once, when I had an encounter with a podiatrist I had a pedicure. 

Is this a hint? Do I need to cut my nails more often? Is one of my female admirers making a statement? Or is it just a nephew out of ideas. I love the holiday season. 

Of loosies and podcasts

One thing about the recent New York police incident is that the term "loosies" has now entered the vocabulary of middle America. I can only remember two times seeing loosies for sale. Once was at a sale barn (or animal auction) in Texas and the other time was when I was treated to a visit to a cock fight in Oklahoma. I remember they sold "loosies" there for a few cents.

Yes I am now following the podcast, Serial. There is also the Slate review of Serial and the posts on Reddit about Serial. It is an interesting series, although I am skeptical of the veracity of the show. I suspect that things are included for dramatic interest. Who dunnit? Hard to tell.  Jay seems the most guilty but he has no motive. Perhaps it was one of the girlfriends and the men were being gallant.

Charley Chan

I don't know about you, but I seem to find slim pickings on the tv nowadays. Too many crappy cop shows, comedy shows, amateur hours, etc. One alternative I have discovered is watching Youtube. You tube is also educational in that it teaches one about other cultures.

For example, I now know what life is like as a lesbian in Canada. Thanks to Pillow Talk, I now can watch two women sharing a bed discussing the intimate details of gay women's lives.

I remember the old Charley Chan movies on tv and much to my delight, there are plenty of old Charley Chan movies free for the viewing on YouTube. Here you get an accurate depiction of Asian life and wisdom. I read it is even popular in China.

The movies always start with a mini adventure, sans Chan. There is a murder. Someone always wishes Charley Chan was there. Soon we meet up with Chan, only too happy to get away from his humdrum life and nagging wife. For the next hour we solve the mystery alongside the learned detective.

I do notice there are certain formulas to the movies. Number one (or number two) son wants to help out but is in the way. The chauffeur, played by Eddie Anderson, is always lassoed into going into a cave or a dark basement and is terrified. There is always a beautiful woman. At some point a  man with bandages around his head makes an appearance.

Yes it is wonderful meeting up with the great heroes of childhood. And to be enlightened with an accurate recounting of traditional Chinese philosophy.

Pictures of domestic life

Just saw some swell photographs of motherhood you might enjoy.

The five stages of life

The first stage of life: Infancy and childhood

The second stage of life: Adolescence: This stage begins when you sneak your first cigarette in the woods

The third stage of life: Young Adulthood: This stage begins with your first job and your first apartment. These are  the fun years.

The fourth stage of life: Adulthood: After you sign your divorce papers and start paying child support you are now a mature man

The fifth stage of life: Old age: This begins the first time you walk through the doors of the cardiologist. Above the door is the quotation from Dante's Inferno. "Abandon all hope ye who enter here". "Golly", you laugh,"everybody looks so old". Soon come the EKG, the echo cardiogram, the stress test, the double heart bypass surgery, the triple heart bypass surgery, the stent. Then you are sitting in a nursing home breathing out of an oxygen mask. Then they cart you off to a cemetery. 

The five stages of life. 

That Ebola nurse who likes to ride a bicycle

Aunt Agnes wanted to do another debate as have many of my readers, so here she is debating the omniscient liberal on the topic of Ebola and nurses who like to ride bicycles.

My heart gives out for those people in Africa but we have to take care of ourselves first. Americans have no business going to Africa to solve other people's problems when we have enough problems at home. That nurse, she was working for a group called Doctors without Borders which is nothing but another name for Médecins Sans Frontières. Now that name is French and we all know the French mean no good for Americans. 

Okay she goes over there and then comes back probably full of that darn old 

Ebola and wants to be free as a bird back here. If there is one thing that governor 

of New Jersey did that was smart it was to send here up to Maine so she can 

spread disease up there. 

O.L: But dear Aunt Agnes, all developed nations have a responsibilty to work to 

wipe out that disease in Africa before it spreads to the developing world. 

Aunt Agnes: Well the best way to keep Ebola out of here is to keep our gates 

shut. Ebola, Obama, they even rhyme. We never had Ebola til we had that 

African as president. 

O.L.: And now that she is back in America she should be free to travel as she 

wants as long as she is healthy. 

Aunt Agnes: While she gets on that bicycle spreading the disease through New 

England near and far. 

O.L. : She should be applauded for her heroism.

Aung Agnes: Well a dignified lady keeps away from Africa and bicycles.