PCIntern
On the eve of every election I harken back to what my father of blessed memory used to say. He was a pragmatic progressive Democrat who was a four-year combat veteran of WWII, worked two full-time jobs his entire career, and held seven masters degrees in subjects from linguistics to Western History to Hebrew Literature. He obviously never slept but he was brilliant in ways which can only be imagined these days what with narrow, specialized learning tracks and generally poorly selected reading lists in schools including, but not limited to, most universities.
He had a few words of wisdom to impart. One was: there is rampant lying in the news organizations and at best, the truth is shaded. However, there is one publication which never intentionally lies to its readers, ever. And that publication is: The Racing Form. you cannot lie to gamblers - they will cut the ties forever. Whatever is printed within is the best knowledge available to the reporter. My Dad's assumption was that if a media member reported something as fact, that that fact was viewed through a specially colored lens and for whatever reason which might be utterly unknown to the masses, it was advantageous to report, or not report in a certain fashion. This policy was generally decided a priori way up in the editorial chain. If something were reported which should not have been, in the opinion of the powers-that-be, careful retrenchment was then executed to minimize the fallout.
The second consideration was that the Nation was headed in some direction, inexorably and inevitably. He used to say this before the Kennedy Assassination and afterwards he just shook his head and said that this was all a course-correction with respect to what Eisenhower had referred to as the military-industrial complex. My father respected Eisenhower for making the speech but knew that it would have little or no effect upon the March of Time. I've written about this before, but I will again share the anecdote when Goldwater was nominated, Eisenhower was interviewed on TV by two reporters. Ike was not happy about Goldwater's candidacy, but these two reporters kept interrupting and changing the topic, thus confusing the situation with respect to the viewer. I was 11 at the time. My father turned to me and stated words which I have never forgotten: "In America there is nothing worse than being a "former" anything. This man was a Five-Star General, led the Allied Forces against the most horrifying villains in history successfully, was a two-term President of the United States, and these two won't let him finish a sentence. Imagine how they'll treat you after you're retired if this is how they treat this man. I hold no briefs for his politics, I certainly didn't vote for him, but these idiots have no respect for the man; none." To this day, I recall that moment vividly.
The third occurrence was in 1980 on Election night. I called my father and said, "Dad, what are we gonna do?" His reply: "What you're gonna do is get up and go to work tomorrow morning and work hard, do the best you can, try to improve the lives of those within your sphere the best you can. Carter thought that he could lead Americans by sitting in the White House with a sweater on with the heat turned down and attempt to commiserate with them. Americans, for good or ill, don't want to hear that. They require the preacher's intensity and verve for better or worse. Reagan and Republicans know how, always knew how, to give this to them. they prey upon their weaknesses, their fears, and get them to vote against their own economic and life-lengthening issues by doing so. Democrats will only sporadically learn how to do this and then they forget. Republicans never forget the necessity of doing this.
The fourth and final statement he made in this regard was that the Fundamental Principle of Republicanism was for rich people to be able to hold onto their money; that in America it is extremely difficult to make a lot of money but even harder to hold onto it once it has been squirreled away. Every decision a Republican makes is with an eye towards this Principle. It is virtually inviolate.
We have found that nothing has changed. We need to win on Tuesday to allow the status quo, which admittedly isn't great, to continue. We know that losing will throw us into some, but not complete, turmoil. Some will suffer needlessly, but the narcissism of many of the electorate precludes them caring enough to think of the plight of others, even if they do attend the religious service of their choice on Sundays. I wish us the best luck and to GOTV.
http://www.democraticunderground.com/10025747317
mountain grammy
2. Your dad was ahead of his time. Thank you for sharing his insight and wisdom.
KT2000
9. Great post - thank you
Your father was so wise and special to share this with you. He really saw the big picture - one that still exists today.
Reagan and Republicans know how, always knew how, to give this to them. they prey upon their weaknesses, their fears, and get them to vote against their own economic and life-lengthening issues by doing so.
held seven masters degrees in subjects from linguistics to Western History to Hebrew Literature.
Have to ask: what Seal Team was PCIntern's dad a member of, and was he the FIRST-most decorated sailor ever, or the THIRD-most? Because Hollis Wright of Sonoma, CA is the second-most.
He was actually a Mossad sleeper agent, not a SEAL
Seven masters degrees while working two jobs his entire life. :bouncy:
Isn`t it amazing how the memes of today can suddenly be spoken 50 years ago.
Kind of like whenever the DNC issues talking point emails some DUmbass miraculously finds a real life person parroting them.
7 masters degrees and had to work two fulltime jobs his whole adult career?!!! MAN THAT SUCKS!
Actually, given the guy's time and place, that's credible, given the very high priority those of Judaic derivation used to put on real education and illumination.
In fact, it's probably the predominant characteristic of eastern European Judaism, in which scholasticism was valued more highly than material wealth. (More of an ideal than a reality, of course; not everybody's cut out to be spartan ascetic scholars.)
But that was an older generation; my good friend Doc's of the generation that believes in slogans and hype. He's nothing, compared with what his father had been.
his son is a janitor? did I read that right?
"What you're gonna do is get up and go to work tomorrow morning and work hard, do the best you can, try to improve the lives of those within your sphere the best you can.
4 year combat vet?
his son is a janitor? did I read that right?
No; the primitive's actually and really and truly a D.D.S.
I missed that Frank. I wonder though... does said D.D.S. expect to be paid for services he renders to his patients? If so, he is nothing more than an eeeeevil rethug!!!! :cheersmate:
Free dental care is a basic human right.
Free dental care is a basic human right.They won't be happy until everyone is a government employee. :whatever:
Now that I think about it, I wonder about something else... does he at least offer free services to the denizens of the Dump?
I missed that Frank. I wonder though... does said D.D.S. expect to be paid for services he renders to his patients? If so, he is nothing more than an eeeeevil rethug!!!! :cheersmate:
The second consideration was that the Nation was headed in some direction, inexorably and inevitably.
That is so freaking WISE!! Dang, only someone smart enough to have 7 Masters (and stupid enough not to be able to use them to get ONE good-paying job) could come up with that!You don't understand. The Republicans ****ed up the economy so bad, it was all he could do to get by. :rofl:
Now, now, you've seen what the primitives look like.
Dental care isn't any priority for them; they need the money for booze, pot, and drugs.
And if the teeth get too bad, they'd rather have the pain-killing pharmaceuticals than having the teeth fixed.
That is so freaking WISE!! Dang, only someone smart enough to have 7 Masters (and stupid enough not to be able to use them to get ONE good-paying job) could come up with that!
You know, that's my friend Doc's biggest character flaw.
Ignore his politics; his politics being grotesquely deformed are a "given" anyway.
Doc is typical of many of those of his same background, who desperately seek to be "assimilated," to be "accepted" by the American mainstream--even if it means hanging with people who hate those of Hebraic derivation, anti-Semites.
They want s-o-o-o-o-o-o badly to be "assimilated."
What Doc doesn't see is that he's already assimilated, already accepted.
Geezuz gawd, he's part of the Main Line crowd, Philadelphia high society. He hangs around with the Cadawalladers, rather than the lower-ranking Cadawaladers. His wife is involved with the right debutante balls, the right cotillions, the right charities; the ones that count.
And he probably has a permanent suite at Grossinger's in the Catskills, where people who matter, vacation and sport.
I can't see where one can be more assimilated than that; he's far more assimilated into the mainstream than goy white Anglo-Saxon Gentile franksolich can ever hope to be.
That is so freaking WISE!! Dang, only someone smart enough to have 7 Masters (and stupid enough not to be able to use them to get ONE good-paying job) could come up with that!
PCIntern's parents separated when he was a toddler and he didn't get to know his dad until he was in college.
That is so freaking WISE!! Dang, only someone smart enough to have 7 Masters (and stupid enough not to be able to use them to get ONE good-paying job) could come up with that!
The DUmmy Dentist
The second consideration was that the Nation was headed in some direction, inexorably and inevitably.
His father's wisdom defies description.
Truly it does.
Shtetls (Yiddish: שטעטל, shtetl (singular), שטעטלעך, shtetlekh (plural)) were small towns with large Jewish population which existed in Central and Eastern Europe before the Holocaust. Shtetls were mainly found in the areas which constituted the 19th century Pale of Settlement in the Russian Empire, the Congress Kingdom of Poland, Galicia and Romania. In Yiddish, a larger city, like Lemberg (Lviv) or Czernowitz, was called a shtot (Yiddish: שט×ָט, German: Stadt); a village was called a dorf.
Yeah, he has talked about his father's grad degrees before but the old man worked for the USPS until he retired.
PCIntern's parents separated when he was a toddler and he didn't get to know his dad until he was in college.
(http://conservativecave.com/Smileys/default/orly.gif)
PCIntern (1000+ posts) Wed Jan-30-08 03:48 PM
Original message
The ONLY time I ever threw a patient out of my office...
About these advertisementswas when this RW MFer came in to my reception area laughing about John McCain's remark about Chelsea. To say the least, I was not amused...he just thought it was about the greatest thing he'd ever heard and I told him in no uncertain terms that I didn't care about 'patient abandonment' issues, if he didn't apologize to my staff, the people in my waiting room who were forced to listen to this crap, and to me, he could leave. He thought I was bluffing and said, "You wouldn't want to lose me." I suppose he figured that since I tell an occasional off-color joke or two, that I would 'get' the humor. I replied that I had a young daughter who was herself at an awkward age, and that if there is some sick guy who thinks that making fun of children gives him a hard-on, I for one, don't want to be associated with that person in any way, shape, or form. That it was lower than low and had nothing to with 'politics' and had everything to do with perversion.
At which point I took his x-rays, made a copy of his treatment records, handed them to him and said..."Good luck to you." Turned around and walked away. I never saw him again. Of course, the people in the waiting room, not only cheered, but I must have gotten 15 referrals directly from that incident. You can't buy that kind of goodwill.
I will not give an inch this time around...not one. I will concede nothing and in the words of Eliot Ness: "No deals".
Gosh,even the very first appearance of the Philly fool in the DUmpster was another bouncy.
http://conservativecave.com/index.php?topic=1844.msg25971#msg25971
One of the reasons I think our good friend Tess was thinking of Skippy is because my good friend Doc described a conversation he had with his father, when Doc was 11 years old, in 1964.
So I think Tess was thinking of Skippy.
No big deal; we all get things wrong once in a while, myself of course included.
I too have a bit of trouble keeping the NY Skipper and Doc separate in my mind, if not as much so as the Wichita Witch and the Kindly KC Slaveowner, whose shifting given pseudonyms here left me behind long ago.
Many years ago, when my parents had split, my mother of blessed memory got a job up near Trenton NJ and we moved to the idyllic town of New Hope, PA, known for its artists and writers colony.
Gosh,even the very first appearance of the Philly fool in the DUmpster was another bouncy.
http://conservativecave.com/index.php?topic=1844.msg25971#msg25971
There's a lot of similarities between the two (roughly the same age, attachment to the mother) but the parents were divorced:
http://metamorphosis.democraticunderground.com/?com=view_post&forum=1002&pid=1914893
that was probably around 1960 or so. Soon afterwards, hia mother enrolled him in some quaker school and became a teacher there, but it went bad. He has a half-brother on his mother's side.
He's said he's second generation, Russsian descent, Polish surname.
There's a lot of similarities between the two (roughly the same age, attachment to the mother) but the parents were divorced.
Has anyone ever witnessed a liberal castigate a conservative in public? With the frequency it happens at the dump, I'm sure one of us has.
In other words, his Dad failed his oral exams in seven different PhD programs. Sounds like an idiot to me.
Funny how right around election time, every election, some DUmmy wheels out the memory of a relation that (a) is the most accomplished person to ever live, and (b) caused people to vote Dem just by walking among them.
Have to ask: what Seal Team was PCIntern's dad a member of, and was he the FIRST-most decorated sailor ever, or the THIRD-most? Because Hollis Wright of Sonoma, CA is the second-most.
Seven masters degrees while working two jobs his entire life. :bouncy:
Maybe this is code for: he really didn't know his dad.