Boblo Boats

In today's Detroit Free Press news online the front page has a picture of something that brings a flood of memories back to when I was a child. The Detroit Boblo Boat Ste. Claire. She was one of a set of twin sister paddlewheel steam boats that used to ferry hundreds of people a day from stops along the Detroit River to Boblo Island, an amusement park located in the middle of the Detroit River. The only way to get to the park was by boat. Her sister ship is the Columbia. The boats are 97 years old so when I used to ride them they were already over 60 years old but what a majestic ride they gave us. Looking at the pictures brings back vivid memories of riding on these boats, the wind blowing through the decks, the smell of the water and the low chug chug of the steam engines driving the paddles around in the back of the boat. As kids, once we were aboard and away from the dock we would explore the decks and watch over the railings at all the people out on their own boats or the shoreline as we steamed on by. Our parents would relax while the kids would have free reign to go where ever they wanted. There was a souvenir shop on board but not much else. The ride was about 45 minutes to an hour but was rich in memories. I can still hear the sound of the chugging engine and the cool wind as it blew through our hair. The seagulls would form a chain behind waiting for any food that may get tossed overboard. Of course we were happy to accommodate them. My Uncle Pat took us several times and for a while it was his time to spend with us. We only saw him a few times a year but he sure made an impression when he did visit those summer months!
The decks were always freshly painted with a battleship gray paint and the railings and supports were painted white. The upper deck was open to the sky but sometimes it was a little to cool to stay up there. Once at the park we spent the entire day on the rides and playing games. Some of my favorites were the Comet, Antique Cars and The Log ride. We played all day long running around the park without a care in the world. We didn't worry about strangers or injuries or anything that is so prevalent in today's society, we just had a great time. I didn't realize how strong those memories could be until I saw the photograph taken from the deck as she is towed upriver. It's almost as if I was standing right there again on her deck as she sails up the Detroit River.

History, rerun or a new direction?

As I watch today's events unfold between the war in Iraq, the conflict in Afghanistan, the war of words in Iran and North Korea and the full blown, throw down Ultimate Fighting in our very own congress I ponder if previous generations had it so good? During WW II, were there vast numbers of the population who were concerned that we were making the wrong decisions on going to war? Did they believe that it was a war of our own making due to our policies toward Japan and Germany? Did they stage protests and rallies to draw attention to their beliefs? Were there members of congress who voted to go to war but then after a year or two stated they were misled and that the war was a mistake? Did the parents of children back then worry that their kid may grow up in a world ruled by dictators and oppression?
I see many similarities between the Nazis and current day radical Islam and if we are not careful the outcome of today's war could change our world for worse. Both believed that the Jewish people were the cause of today's problems and should be wipe off the map. Both ruled with iron fists, intimidation, death and fervor. Both believed that their vision of the world was perfect and both had the intent, capability, and passion to do whatever it takes to bring about the changes they sought through violent means. Are we able to learn from our past? Given the outcome of WW II perhaps we should pray that we would be doomed to repeat it. Seems that our stomach to do what needs to be done is no longer as strong as it was back then.

The great immigration debate

Seems to me that this new immigration reform coming from the island of Washington DC has all the markings of amnesty even though the proponents of the bill are loath to admit it. Those against the bill don't seem to realize that we actually need a majority of the illegal immigrants to fill the jobs that many of us wouldn't consider. Neither one of them understand what it will take to make immigration reform be a true reform. The general populace doesn't have any faith in governments' ability to stop border crossings, track illegals, and create an efficient means to enact the part of the plan that calls to monitor, catalog and verify the eligibility of anyone looking to be hired. The track record of the federal government is not a good one in terms of securing our borders. They are also known for the wasteful spending on programs that fail to perform the function they were paid to perform. We had immigration reform back in the year 1986, and yet we need another reform bill. If we secure the borders first, thus reducing the influx of border crossings, and then look at a comprehensive bill deciding what to do with the current illegals in the country, the general populace may begin to soften their stance on allowing the current immigrants a path to becoming residents. Only when the leak is plugged can you fix the plumbing. Securing our borders is not only to stop illegal immigration, it's to provide safety to our country for those who desire to kill us. It would perhaps also have the byproduct of showing the public that maybe, just maybe, the government can do something productive and, I believe, provide a way for the restoration of the population faith in our elected leaders.

The fools on the Hill.

I just read that the US Congress (Led by John Conyors) is trying to pass legislation that will allow the US government to sue OPEC countries for price fixing and they blame the current spike in gasoline prices on the high cost of crude. Their logic is that since the OPEC nations have reduced capacity and output of crude by 1.1 millions barrels a day, this has been the direct cause of the spike in gasoline costs. The problem with this theory is that the capacity reduction started several months ago yet the spike didn't occur until just recently. The real problem is that we are dependent upon oil from other countries, have limited our ability to drill and produce oil on our own soil, and haven't built a refinery in the US since the 70's. Allowing the building of new refineries, opening drilling in off shore areas that have proven reserves, and encouraged conservation and innovation to find new sources of energy would reduce our dependence upon other countries and thus bring down prices. Supply and demand. It's simple. Streamlining the refining processes and reducing the number of distilled products could go a long way to controlling fuel prices as well as bringing our energy needs under our own control. But noooo, congress decides that it's better to blame others for our inability to fix the issues. Do they really think that sueing other nations will work? Why would another nation allow us to have jurisdiction over them? They won't, but congress lives in a fantasy world where they believe that they have domain over other countries. How did we ever elect these fools? We are being made to be the fools for electing them.

The real truth?

I was reading where Michael Moore believes that President Bush was the reason he was being investigated for taking a group of 9/11 emergency responders to Cuba for medical treatment supposedly due to not having access to quality care here in the U.S. Of course travel to Cuba has been illegal for decades but apparently he doesn't believe the law applies to him. Also, if you were going to be charitable enough to take some well deserving people somewhere outside the US for medical care, why wouldn't you take them somewhere known for it's advanced medical care like Switzerland, Norway, Germany or even Canada? Why? Because it wouldn't have suited Michael Moores' purpose of trying to smear the current administration. His credibility is nonexistent on his latest project. If he really were concerned about the welfare of the people he took to Cuba for health care he would have taken them to a country that has better care than Cuba. But then, that wouldn't have made such a good story.
Footnote:
Does Michael Moore really believe that The President of the United States has the time or interest in making problems for him? Michaels' paranoia and delusions of grandeur could make a case for a visit to the clinic for some anti-delusional prescriptions. Of course, he could always get them from Cuba.

What if we really cared?

We are a political society. Seems politics permeate the airwaves, the TV, social discussions, and newspapers. The problem is, what is the truth? Politics by nature have become a "who can spin the best" type of contest. We are a fickle nation who elects our representatives based upon looks and presentation. You could make a beautiful looking dinner out of rice cakes, food dye and tofu but would it taste good? That's how it is with politics. Who has the best presentation, the best line, the best haircut and outfit? How many people actually take time to look into the beliefs and history of the person they elect? If it's not an easy to read, short and concise quote then we haven't the time to read it. The future ramifications of our votes are seldom considered. It's "what can you do for me and my social class" type of mentality that chips away at the foundation of the country. Politicians don't want to make the hard decisions to solve the real issues. They want to position themselves to reap the benefits of stagnation and obfuscation, never really taking a definitive stance. To do so would be political suicide. The problem isn't that we have no politicians willing to stand up and do what is right, the problem is they are attacked by the larger core of politicians who fear a straightforward honest member of their elitist group. They fear that it would remove the wool from the populations' eyes and allow them to see that they are drunk on the power and prestige granted them by the people of this country. Before long we will have no recourse to fix this utterly broken government. The complacency of the American people will allow those in power to assert that power with no control. We keep electing people who feel it is their right to be in office, not their privilege. When politics becomes a club, it's time to change ownership of that club. We as the voting public need to perform a leveraged buyout of Congress and let them know who they really work for. We should elevate those few congressmen and congresswomen who have actually placed the good of the country above the good of the chosen few. We need to reduce entitlements, balance the budget, force all legislation to be open and published before voted upon, eliminate pork barrel spending (better yet make it illegal), create term limits, fix the tax code, and get social security and medicare fixed and funded. We need to improve our intelligence gathering, make our military more efficient and better equiped, and reinvest in the education of our youth. There's a lot of talk about this stuff (except social security and medicare) but not much action. It's our own fault though. We keep electing the same ol' people. We've taken the easy path to our own destruction.
Unless we start taking a real interest in the future of our politics we all may find we've walked half way through a train tunnel only to find we can't out run the locomotive heading our way.

Where are the adults?

Every day there's a new article or story about children who are killed or die as a result of the adults consigned to care for them. The stories range from gang shootings where a stray bullet finds it's way into a house where a small child is sleeping to foster parents who commit murder through neglect or abuse. While I realize that the percentages of these events are small when compared to the number of kids in foster care or living in less than safe neighborhoods, I wonder what kind of people do these things? Evil does exist. When I read these stories I can't help to want to rush home from work and just hold my kids. How can parents do these things to children? How are we to set examples for the children when we as adults are unable to control our own behavior? Parenting is a job that makes your hair go gray, put wrinkles under your eyes, and caused paranoia. It's not a job for the weak. Making sure your kids are safe is job one, two and three. We live in a world rich in adventure and just as rich in risk. Taking the time to hold your kids is time well spent. I remember that every time I get home exhausted from work and my 3 and 5 year olds run to me wanting to play a game or show me something they made. Somehow my tiredness is relegated to the back of my head and I muster any amount of energy to spend that time making sure they know that Daddy wants to see their latest masterpiece. Sometimes I luck out and they just want to fall asleep in my bed as I watch TV and snuggle with them. Last night I came home to find them in bed with my wife. Sara was asleep but Connor was awake. I lay down next to him and he put his arm around me and snuggled close. He missed me. Soon he was fast asleep and I carried both kids to their beds. It's a nightly routine for us. Soon enough they'll want to fall asleep in their own beds, but last night we snuggled knowing that love fills our lives. It's not hard to know what's important, but sometimes it is hard to remember it. Thankfully, I've got 2 kids and a wife who help me remember.