Anger

I have been trying to find the root of the anger and passion that the Health Care bill has managed to generate. I am not talking about normal discourse, debate and disagreement Rather I am referring to the unbridled horrific anger and passion that has been causing certain individuals and groups to threaten violence and assassinations. I was close to reaching a conclusion. However a Jerome Miller has beaten me to the punch. Here is quote from Mr. Miller. The full comment can be found at http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/opinion/oped/bal-op.reason21sep21,0,5381115.story

“…If Mr. Obama has become the focus of rage and fear, it is because he has come to symbolize what deeply angers and frightens many Americans: the complexities that make us feel impotent, the profound changes that are altering our world. It is hard, for example, for many of us to imagine a world in which white is not the dominant color and Christianity is just one of many respected creeds. The anger and fear that such change provokes are understandable. This does not make them any less irrational.

There is little that the president or his administration can do to allay this irrationality. Those who respond to him with visceral anger and fear are right to see him as the embodiment of the changes that enrage and terrify them. As he is the agent of change, he can do little to disarm the irrational response it often provokes. What is missing from our present political culture is an opposition that responds to the president's history-making administration with thoughtful conversation, an opposition that has the courage to eschew and explicitly criticize the rhetoric of hate and oversimplification.

Only conservatives and Republicans can provide such an opposition. The need for it is fast becoming desperate. For the vacuum created by the absence of such an opposition will not continue for long. There is a maelstrom waiting to fill it.

Astute Republican thinkers such as The New York Times' David Brooks have emphasized that the party needs to rethink itself to renew its identity. But there is already available to the Republican Party and the conservative movement an indispensable role in these historic times: They can stand up for reason and work to delegitimize the demagogy and malice that are betraying their deeply thoughtful and venerable traditions. Doing so may cost them votes; it may cost them primary elections. But it will earn them the gratitude of history.

We now need, perhaps more urgently than ever before, an opposition that is loyal, above all, to reason, as it was exercised by our founders.

Jerome Miller is professor emeritus of philosophy at Salisbury University. His e-mail is jamiller@salisbury.edu.
Copyright © 2009, The Baltimore Sun”

So What’s to complain?

I still go to he gym 2 to 3 times a week. My upper body is much stronger. My legs are worst than before. The VA says there is no hope. My Hopkins neurologist says there is nothing he can do. They will continue to deteriorate so I am doing the best I can. My personnel trainer tries to get responses from my legs and has had some success. I am able to use my thigh muscles more now and they are strong enough to pick me up. But the rest of the legs are still very slow to respond. Hover, overall I feel pretty good and energetic. My family is well there is love in me for all so what’s to complain?

A Partial List of My Interest

Here is a partial list of my interest.

Giving love, being kind, learning to love my enemies, Poets, poetry, astronomy, parenting, child rearing, my children, my wife, balance, beautiful thinking, beauty, ice cold beer, wise old men, breast, carnal knowledge, chivalry, coffee, music, constant randomness, cooking, crunchy, studying cultures, Dali, dancing, delusions of grandeur, dreaming, eloquence, emotions, estrogen, eye locks, freedom, fresh expensive sheets, geeks, getting mail, imperfections, joint laughter, kissing, lovers, laughter, touching skin, letters, life, lips, lucid dreams, hugging, metaphysics, modest and undiscovered greatnesses, open windows, family, outsider art, art, people watching, people who love, philosophy, sociology, photography, psychology, quirky features, politics, health care for all, rhythm, travel, romance, self-improvement, serendipity, sex, sharing experiences with strangers, showering in twos or more, sharing visions, silence, protests against the war, ending all wars, hips, solitude, spoken word, spontaneity, spooning, subtle sexuality, testosterone, the way night smells, smelling warm rain, uncontrollable giggle fits, used book stores, unaided laughter, vintage, wandering aimlessly, weather, Buddhism, bonding with men, good health, mental clarity, Hitchhikers Guide To the Galaxy, 42.

Zhongshan--Real Honk Kong style Chinese Food

Wow real Chinese food in Baltimore and it’s delicious. Be forewarned this is not your overly sweet more American than Chinese food sold in most so-called Chinese restaurants/carry outs in Baltimore. This is real Hong Kong Style Chinese food and it knocks your socks off. Zhongshan at 323 Park Ave in the old china Town is producing real Hong Kong style food that is simply wonderful. Linda and I have been there 3 times and each time it has been just incredible food. It is the only restaurant besides the Charleston that each mouthful is a symphony of taste pleasures. But Zhongshan’s prices are amazingly affordable. Linda and I ate till full and still took home a doggy bag for only $42,00. Just try every thing on the menu you can’t go wrong. I recommend the “Whole Crispy Fish with Spicy Sauce, the Chinese Broccoli with Garlic sauce, the House special Lo Mein and any of the House specials served at Lunch time. Of course if you go for lunch you must have Dim Sum. Dim Sum is served from 1030 am to 2:30am. They also have delicious set platters for 6 to 8 persons and 3-5 persons. The service is warm, friendly, prompt and attentive. They are extremely helpful in understanding the authentic menu items.

Zhongshan ‘s hours are 1000hrs to 2230hrs on Sunday trough Thursday and 1000hrs to 2330hrs on Friday and Saturday. 410-233-1882 Fax 410-223-1880