Anger Management

There has been a great deal of anger and angst on some of the message boards I visit. A recent attempt to inject some humor on one of them appears to have fallen flat.

Oh well. You cannot win them all.

I think I’ll just stay away for a spell and post my ruminations over here at the Campingplatz.

And if all of all of those other folks want to get their undies in a knot that is fine by me. My undies are resting on the floor of the laundry room where the sauerkraut is fermenting.

It has occurred to me that those parents who hollered the loudest about the president speaking to their children might possibly be insecure about their parenting skill-set. Maybe that would explain why they were so afraid?

Sometimes I think that all of the angry yelling has deteriorated into revanchist enmity. Unlike the conservatism of Eisenhower, Nixon or Reagan modern conservatives in many ways have fallen into a pattern of anger and scare tactics.

They might benefit from a stiff dose of intellectual renewal and conquering the higher ground of loyal opposition.

Yet, what do I know.

Anyway - here is something to be scared about.

According to the Office of Management and Budget the estimated deficit for the 2009 fiscal year is $1.58 trillion. Did you know that it took 197 years (1789 to 1985) to amass a deficit of $1.58 trillion?

Furthermore, healthcare spending currently accounts for more than sixteen percent of our gross domestic product. That figure increases by about one percent every three to four years.

That might not seem like much - but the rate of increase is going to really pick-up the pace as all of us boomers get older than we already are. And if it continues on this course we will all end up giving virtually all of our money to the healthcare-industrial complex and not have a sou remaining to spend on other stuff like food, clothing and shelter.

So, in one of life’s great ironies we will be fleeced of our wealth and dead in the end.

Scary - eh?

The President spoke about this the other day and he is going to have an interesting time of trying to reconcile both of these irreconcilable truths.

But I digress. Which is the problem with being alone with your thoughts.

I am having a great day today – puttering in my kitchen, doing the day job shtick. Taking calls, tapping out emails and replies to emails, talking with my people while all the time canning another (and thankfully) last batch of pickles. Tomorrow I do applesauce from this year’s vast crop of apples.

That is unless I am butchering a deer.

The archery opener is tomorrow and this is splendid weather to hunt in. Not too hot. Not too cool. We have gone almost two weeks without rain so there will be no pesky mosquitoes.

I think that tonight the Frau and I will go to town. We will have a cocktail, chat with our favorite waitress and enjoy a fish fry.

Life is good when you’re not angry.