Same Movie, Different Cast

This morning, sixty-nine years ago, the European continent awoke to peace for the first time since Mussolini's Italy invaded Ethiopia and a group of generals of the Spanish Republican Armed Forces declared their opposition to the Second Spanish Republic. The rivers of blood flowing from those events precipitated the torrential downpour that created oceans nearly drowning the entire continent.

If World War I had been 'the war to end all wars' by the time we got to Double U, Double U Two, we all knew better Before anyone got used to the quiet, the Cold War descended and five decades of armed ignorant arrogance were to follow.

Countless dollars of international treasure were expended to guarantee Mutually Assured Destruction (I've always loved how the acronym was a descriptive) and because the Soviet Union went broke first, we, the good guys "won."

I'm still not sure what the prizes were for winning, but the price was very high in opportunities lost and developments and discoveries not made because we chose guns over butter. It looks like some decisions are being revisited though to what end is unclear.

Those who cannot remember history are fated to repeat it and in light of how many of us seem to have Attention Deficit Disorder, this phase may go on for quite some time until, like our parents and their parents before them, and theirs before them, we confuse peace with times of no war. Our inability to learn is ignorance more than an accident of biology or circumstance. See how the tail can wag the dog.
-bill kenny

We Are God's Punchline

If you need more proof that some time ago, in the not too distant past, every other living and spiritual thing in the Universe got together and didn't tell us, try this on for size.

And we think we're such hot stuff with these opposable thumbs and big brains. Turns out it's not just size that matters. Who knew?

Yes, I know this is serious and could have been far more so. Had you or I attended and gotten ill, neither of us would find this even close to as amusing as I'm finding it for the both of us right now, proving yet again that humor is not only topical but geographic-the closer you are the less you laugh.

Except in this case had only you became ill and I had not, hysterical mirth would ensue and I wouldn't dream of telling you otherwise. Baltimore's not the only place having trouble with ice and nausea isn't even the half of it. It all seems like a sight gag gone wrong.
-bill kenny

Sadness or Euphoria

Monday evening at 6:30 we in Norwich have a second bite of the proverbial apple at the Second Public Hearing on the City Manager's proposed fiscal year 2014-2015 budget.

In a world where silence is interpreted to mean consent, I cannot encourage you strongly enough to use this forum to make your voice heard because (and I'm amazed how often we lose sight of it) this is our city.

The budget creation process is very straight-forward and transparent, if you're willing to look at it. Part of our unhappiness as we struggle to understand the results of a long process I fear is that we want to cut to the chase and have no patience for prologue or explanations. We all want to go to heaven but nobody wants to die. I'm pretty sure that's not how it works.

The professionals who manage our municipal departments made their cases for funding to the City Manager last fall and into the winter with crunch time in the early Spring.

The City Manager, in turn, evaluated the requests and reviewed past performance and results in crafting his proposed budget which he presented to his bosses, the City Council, the men and women we each elected to the City Council. There's not a one of them who doesn't pay taxes for the same goods and services we all expect and receive from the city in which we live.

No one likes their taxes to be increased, by any amount, at any time or for any reason. You know both the City Manager and City Council are keenly aware of this already but by all means go ahead and remind them of that again on Monday evening if you're so inclined. You're entitled to tell them how and why (and where if we're being technical) you agree and/or disagree with the expenditures and appropriations they are considering.

But between today and then go over the budget and do your own math. As Sister Mary Jean used to tell us in math class, "show your work." If you have a proposal or an alternative for a budget item, show how you're paying for it and be specific and realistic. Measure (at least) twice before cutting once-that's what they used to say in New York's Garment District-good watchwords for those creating municipal budgets.

Speaking of which, copies of the budget are available on line and also in the Otis Library (and you thought all they had were book sales?). More than a few of us were unhappy that copies aren't available for free at City Hall but I suspect others of us would be unhappy if tax dollars were 'frittered away' on something you can print at your own home. Like everything involved with budget, not everyone is happy with whatever solution is offered.

Despite news reports nationally of an economic upturn, around here these remain hard times in the land of plenty. Someday, we may come to regard these as the best of times, but not today and probably not Monday either.
-bill kenny

Now We Can Sneeze in Public

I admire the sense of timing the folks in the black robes in DC exercised yesterday in using Cinco de Mayo as air cover for offering an inventive, albeit convoluted, interpretation to the First Amendment in the Bill of Rights, or what's left of it, of our Constitution.

As you've possibly read, the same Supreme Court of the United States that sees no reason to maintain or retain any form of Affirmative Action because we is all so equal there's no need for a sequel, which has also decided money is free speech so the more you have the louder you can be and happens to be wildly in love with the Second Amendment has now determined prayer to start a public meeting (in a town in New York State, specifically) is not religious expression and as such is neither prohibited nor regulated.

If you don't believe in God or in any form of a Divine Being ("Hairy Thunderer or Cosmic Muffin") just stand outside municipal meetings until the grown-ups are done or stare at your shoes and keep telling yourself that when your rights aren't respected, no one else's are either. Of course you should realize the rest of us will think you're a Whiner and probably not much of a patriot no matter how many flag decals you have on your windshield.

With spring busting out all over these United States, and pollen and allergy season sure to follow, how fortuitous! I have no idea what you say when someone sneezes but rest assured unless that person is someone of another race, the Supreme Court is cool with a simple "God Bless You." Somewhere Kate Smith is smiling, though from a distance it looks like she has gas.

Please rise for the Benediction and remain standing for another national anthem.
-bill kenny

¿Tiene Francia una mayo Quinta?

Today, as you probably know if you've been pricing limes, is Cinco de Mayo.  I'm not sure if you prefer Miracle Whip if you are required to stay indoors and I'm not sure whom to ask for a ruling.

I find it somewhat telling that we do more celebrating of this holiday here, North of the Border, than reportedly in most of Mexico. I think that means we were more desperate to find a holiday that would tide us over from Saint Patrick's Day, where everyone is Irish (more or less) to Memorial Day, where we're all so patriotic we have to have barbecues to prove it.

Lost in all the superficial celebrations across the USA today is a grimly serious and incredibly important milestone in the history of the Republic of Mexico, and by extension, the USA and (to a more limited extent) Western Europe as well but one that is far more quietly celebrated in Mexico.  

Freedom is a process as much as a product-we know that from our own War of Independence and should realize that other nations have parallel experiences.
You needn't have a margarita today to observe Cinco de Mayo-just recalling that your freedom is worth whatever price you are willing to pay for it is often more than remembrance enough.
-bill kenny

Jetzt bin Ich ein Country Maus.....

I settled us in Norwich as the first one who arrived from Germany back in the early fall of 1991.  I've always liked living here even though I'm not from here-perhaps liking it more than many who were born here.

I'm not a nester but I am a slow to relinquish kind of guy, meaning once I have something, I have it. When I rock, I rock and when I roll, I roll. Here's one of the reasons why I like living here.

The Uncas Leap is about a four minute walk from our house and is beautiful every single day of the year and I don't know a lot of things you can say that about, so I count that as a Plus One for my team.

Here's another reason why I like living here.

This is the Upper Falls and I walked across that railroad trestle you see at the end of the clip to get to where I shot this video. Technically, I'm standing in the middle of the Upper Falls Heritage Park but it needs a lot of work and that costs money that we don't seem to have, at least for a place as beautiful as this.

Wherever you live, you have places of which you can and should be proud if you take care of them. Don't be the reason you don't have nice things.
-bill kenny

One Less than Advertised

We had a bustle in the hedgerow here in The Land of Steady Habits earlier in the week and I smiled as a fellow child of the Sixties who is a decade older than I (talk about how good that felt, youbetcha!) had his reach exceed his grasp, in more ways than either of us care to think about.

Paul Simon and Eddie Brickell made like the other Tom and Jerry which may have upset Artie if he found out, at their home right here in The Nutmeg State and both ended up with some 'splainin' to do to the Men in Blue. Koo-koo-ca-chew.

I still find it hard sometimes to realize "stars" are people, too-somebody's husband or wife, a parent, a sibling, just like the rest of us. Maybe they're flying first-class, metaphorically, but it's the same plane, astral and otherwise.

To me, the big part of the story was finding out they lived in New Britain. I'd have pegged them for somewhere in Litchfield County but then again, I live on the Rhode Island side of Connecticut, so what do I know about marital relations. Well, for starters when I and my my wife disagree, I count to ten, Paul, five times.
-bill kenny