This,That and T`other.

Jambo,Good People.

In reference to my last post, criticising an article (poorly) written by Robert J. Samuelson in Newsweek Magazine, I was surprised to see that the Moron is at it again.
In the issue following the one in which the first incendiary article appeared, Mr. Samuelson rubbed salt into the mental wounds he created in the Senior Citizens of this Republic by revisiting a subject he would have, in my humble opinion, been better off abandoning and letting his first article rest on its lousy laurels and gone on to another subject.

To be absolutely fair and honest, I will admit that Mr. S is probably much better educated, and wiser, than am I. However, I stand ready to participate in a verbal duel with this dedicated anti-humanitarian, at ten paces or pages.

In his latest article, revisiting the subject of Social Security, Mr. Samuelson now says bluntly that Social Security benefits for the elderly are "Middle Class Welfare'.

Also in order to be fair I should say that obviously you have the constitutional
freedom to agree with Mr. S, just as you have the right to believe that the Earth is flat, the moon is made of green cheese and that Politicians are Honest, that used car salesmen (those who weren't smart enough to be politicians) are pure of heart and the cost of living hasn't gone up at all in the last two years (as the Federal Government States), but I wouldn't recommend it.

I will enter into a sub-fractional agreement with Mr. Samuelson on a tiny bit of his "welfare" remark e.g. that perhaps the "Welfare appellation might be accurate for those among us who don't work, have never worked and never will . These are the selfsame individuals who drew the REAL welfare earlier in their lives, and are now drawing Social Security, but I sincerely think that this portion of the S.S. recipients is infinitesimally minute, in that the overwhelming majority of we recipients DID work for most or all of our adult lives to EARN our social Security, and to pick the Fly Specks out of the pepper, as Mr. S tends to do,I again hasten to affirm that few of us paid enough into the Social Security Fund to cover the amounts we will draw in what's left of our life, and I will again say that we didn't write the Social Security Bill, had nothing to do with the amount congress decided to assign each of us to pay into the fund, so whose fault is it?
I will also agree that people who have a overlarge income upon retirement should not qualify for Social Security. Just consider this one more tax., and with that I will close this part of this days post.

On another subject, I see where it has now been 30 years since John Hinckley shot President Reagan, his Press Secretary, Jim Brady, a secret Service Agent and a Washington Policeman. I think we all know the status of all the above wounded, but do you know what kind of life Mr. Hinkley is leading?
Well to inform. Mr. Hinkley is still committed to a Mental Institution, but is free to wander the grounds freely and unsupervised, has had a number of girlfriends, gets 12 unsupervised trips to visit his Mother each year, Ten days at each visit. Folks, that's One Hundred and Twenty days per year of Absolute freedom for this nut, Four Months, or one third of his confinement year !!!! Boy, that'll teach him !!!

Oh Well, enough of the grim news. I also read of a new growth of British Television shows, which if you haven't seen them, you can have no idea of how superior they are to the Best Efforts of the American Entertainment industry.

My wife got hooked on British Television quite a number of years ago, and persuaded me to watch them on a trial basis, and now.....well now, I simply DO NOT miss one of these fine shows. Such shows as "Foyle's War", Midsomer Murders, Agatha Christies 'Poirot" and the latest show we've found to be terrific, "Doc Martin", are absolute Blue Ribbon entertainment, and I think once you watch them you will be just as addicted to them as my wife and I are. I have no idea why such quality entertainment is beyond the capabilities of the American entertainment industry, but, sadly, it is. On American Series, if the characters aren't nearly or at least,partially, naked, it seems that the industry thinks the show is a failure. I think Charlie Sheen's drug-driven rages are perhaps symptomatic of one of the troubles in the American Entertainment industry. It seems that scarcely a week goes by that we don't hear or read of another Television or Movie Star's absolutely abhorant behavior, and these are the people to whom Millions of Dollars are paid. Yeah life's fair. Oh Well.

Just wanted to end this on an "up" beat, but it seems I've failed. Anyway if you get a chance check your local PBS TV channel and sample some of these fine British T.V. shows, I think you will like them as much as I do.

God Bless,

The Old Professor