Kevin Weyl

Prose and Cons

2012-02-15T15:54:00.000-08:00

I fear that we have lost our collective minds. Some of us are contemplating electing a Republican as president. We are fixated on whether Rick "His Holiness" Santorum is better qualified than Willard. Newt seems to have flamed out and all but Dr. Paul's ardent supporters seem to think he hasn't a prayer of getting the nomination.And all of this is to unseat Barry. All of this is to gain

A few words about my mother...

2012-02-10T15:46:00.000-08:00

I thought I would devote this space to a few words about my mother.Janice Manley Weyl died, February 9, 2012, at the age of 95. She had been declining over the past several years and finally passed away in a peaceful sleep.Louise Janice Mandelberg was born, July 30, 1916, in Chicago, Illinois. She was the youngest daughter of Sidney A. and Evelyn Franck Mandelberg. They changed their name to

Janice Manley Weyl

2012-02-09T17:51:00.000-08:00

Janice Manley WeylBorn Louise Janice Mandelberg in Chicago, Illinois, July 30, 1916 to Sidney Adolph Mandelberg and Evelyn Franck MandlebergGrandaughter to the late Ben C. Franck, for many years, Secretary of The New York Times CompanyMarried Max Weyl May 28, 1936Mother to the late Karen and to Kevin WeylGrandmother to Maraina Leigh WeylAunt to Laurie Joseph, Margie McCabe and the late Billy

One Man's Junk...

2012-02-01T14:22:00.001-08:00

I was recently forced to go through some boxes of stuff in the basement looking, successfully, for my birth certificate. I could see it in my mind's eye. I just couldn't see it's location.But, finally, there, under a load of junk, in the last possible box, was the manila envelope with my paperwork inside.Phew! Crisis averted.But, through the ordeal, I reconnected with some of the most

I Give Up!!

2012-01-27T16:56:00.000-08:00

That's it! I give up...UNCLE!!Newt Gingrich is proposing that we spend money on lunar exploration.Is he out of his cotton pickin' mind!!?? (he is from Georgia, after all, so maybe that phrase is more apt than I knew...)Now, don't get me wrong. I think that exploration in the Final Frontier would be a great thing.It would boost the economies of the communities that either built the equipment or

Where's Mario?

2012-01-26T09:29:00.000-08:00

I've never had a friend named Mario. I've known a couple and I met Mario Cuomo once.But as an actual friend, I've never had one."Where's Mario?" just seemed liked a good title for this post.I recently learned of the death of two friends. One was the bass player in the first band in which I ever played. His name was Cris Connery. It was in 1966 and the band was called "The Good Fairies" but our

Pass The Salt...

2012-01-25T08:53:00.000-08:00

What is it about the human race that makes us so competitive?It's probably the old biological thing about survival. If I kill the tiger, A) it doesn't kill me and, B) I'm eating and, well, you're not.Plain and simple I suppose.The modern equivalent, at least in politics, seems to be the way in which one party vilifies the other.To listen to the GOP you would think that Barack Obama was a

A Tragedy in 5 Acts

2012-01-24T10:51:00.000-08:00

PART I$21,700,000.00 (The gross amount Willard and Anne Romney earned in 2010)Now deduct the $3,000,000.00 paid in taxesThat leaves $18,700,000.00Divided by 2 equals$9,350,000.00 (The net amount Willard earned)Divided by 240* equals$38,958 (The net amount Willard earned every working day) Divided by 8 equals $4,869 (The net amount Willard earned per hour)PART IIThe federal minimum wage is $7.25

Friend This!

2012-01-23T10:29:00.000-08:00

I just came to a startling, although, belated realization.This "Friend" thing on Facebook is baloney.I recently "Friended" a bunch of people and then tried to communicate with them. You know...like friends do.No such luck.Not a word...or "notification", as it is so endearingly called.My "Friends" ended up not being so...Which got me to thinking about the whole nattering concept of

On The Other Hand

2012-01-19T09:57:00.000-08:00

I was going to write about the possibility of a Gingrich/Palin ticket in 2012.That impulse has been overridden by the news of Newt Gingrich's opening remarks at last night's GOP debate in South Carolina.CNN's John King asked about reports of Gingrich's former wife's contention that Gingrich wanted to have an open marriage. Apparently Newt had been having an affair and an open marriage seemed, to

Me Too...

2012-01-16T09:03:00.000-08:00

Friends...I've come to a difficult decision.After much personal reflection, and long discussions with my wife and children, I've decided to end my run for the presidency.I have decided to leave the race to spend more time with my family. It is not important that they have been travelling with me throughout the campaign. That was not a factor.It is also not important that I haven't gotten many

The Bain of My Existence...

2012-01-14T10:08:00.000-08:00

I just couldn't pass up the opportunity to use that title. I really don't have much to add to my previous posts about Willard.But I'll try anyway...This Bain Capital business, that seems to be dogging Mitt Romney's campaign, really comes down to one overriding issue.Jealousy.Admit it folks. We're all green with envy that Mitt and his friends have so much money (and so many houses, it turns out.

In This Corner!

2012-01-13T08:03:00.000-08:00

Ok, let me take the gloves off. The kid gloves that is...Let me tell you what irks me about Willard Romney.He is an oblivious man of privilege.Full disclosure: I guess, to some extent, I am one too. He is a rich man's son. So am I. Even though we had very little money growing up, my father came from money which was all lost in the Great Depression. But my father sacrificed to give me that

Nostalgia, Part I

2012-01-12T08:55:00.001-08:00

I read, today, that Hostess Cakes, the maker of Twinkies, has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection. That got me to a-thinkin'...I am old enough to remember Twinkies when they actually tasted good. Then ITT (International Telephone & Telegraph...think about that one...) bought Hostess and Twinkies began to taste somewhat radioactive.Then they got smaller and that was that.Hostess Cupcakes

Rush Limbaugh is My Hero

2012-01-10T06:20:00.000-08:00

Today is different. Today I stand up for myself. Today I blow horns!Today I decided to take a page out of Rush Limbaugh's playbook and celebrate...myself!I recently wrote, in this space, that it was difficult to understand how Mitt Romney, et al, could relate to the common man.He comes from, and has always had, money. We now learn that one of the ways in which he made his money was to buy and

Not Me For President

2011-12-28T12:22:00.000-08:00

I've decided to remove all speculation about my intentions to seek the presidency in 2012.I'm not running.My decision is unequivocal and final. I didn't even have to discuss it with my family.My answer is no. Don't ask and don't write me in. I won't accept a draft (I prefer wine if you must know. White, slightly chilled and fruity but not too young.)I'm not interested.At least for now. Today.

I Love Denis Leary, Part II

2011-12-24T09:11:00.000-08:00

Merry F...ing Christmas!That sums it up. Traffic. Too many people. Shopping. Did I mention traffic?It starts on Labor Day. Christmas songs at the gas pump. Holiday lights still up from last year. Anxiety about what to buy and not having enough money with which to buy it.All of that said, today is the beginning (and almost the end...) of Christmas as far as I am concerned. Christmas Eve.When I

You Can't Judge a Book...

2011-12-23T13:37:00.001-08:00

I passed a minivan today with a "Palin Power" bumper sticker on it's back window. That would, technically, make it a back window sticker but that's not important right now.It was the sign itself that got my attention not its' placement. I immediately drew a conclusion about the driver and just as quickly developed a pretty good case of attitude. Not quite Road Rage. Let's call it Road

The Lesser of Too Evils...

2011-12-18T06:34:00.000-08:00

Mitt Romney?You have got to be kidding.Please, God, tell me that he's not going to be the nominee. Please!Mitt Romney, absolutely and unequivocally, represents all that is wrong with modern society.I have no problem with someone changing his mind. I do it all of the time. Chocolate? No, Pistachio. Pacino? No, De Niro. Italy? No, France. I am forever changing what I think. It all depends

Poppy Was Right

2011-11-08T04:04:00.000-08:00

Retrospectively, George Herbert Walker Bush was right, at least on two counts.First, he correctly identified Ronald Reagan's economic policy as "Voodoo Economics."Enough said about that.Second, he was right about the "Thousand Points of Light" but in an unintended way.Republicans contend that The United States would function better, if not perfectly, if there were less government intrusion.Less

Argh...The Sixties?

2011-11-07T06:36:00.000-08:00

In the sixties there was peace, love and understanding.Bull.We had spoiled rich kids spending their parent's money getting stoned, laid, listening to very loud music and avoiding responsibility.Some kids went to, and either died in Viet Nam or came back messed up for life.There were protests in the street and some people got their heads cracked open or killed.Sure, some good things came out of

No Way In Hell!

2011-11-05T09:32:00.000-07:00

I am NOT stodgy. I may be old but I am not stodgy.Yeah...right! Tell that to my daughter...Over the years she has tried to get me to listen to "her" music. I have tried and, in most cases, I have, in a word, hated it.I must admit that I was surprised by the Jonas Brothers, the occasional Miley Cyrus hit and one song called "Forget You" (I think) by some R & B guy.Other than that the hip-hop/rap

Knock, Knock...

2011-10-27T13:32:00.000-07:00

What are you if you are against Obama's health care plan, in part, because it mandates having insurance...but...you advocate state mandated vaccination against HPV for young girls?What are you if you are pro-life but govern a state with the highest incident of execution in the country?What are you if you claim to follow Jesus ("Love Thy Neighbor", etc...)but you don't support gay marriage?You are

Sounds like...

2011-10-27T08:29:00.001-07:00

Have you heard Rick Perry speak? I mean, have you heard his voice? I mean, have you heard the sound of his voice in your ears?He sounds uncannily like George W. Bush. Now we all know that W is a New England born preppy who adopted Texspeak because it made him seem more manly. He sounded more like a manly man rather than a Blue Blood patrician snob.Got it. We all have our affectations. I,

Help!! I'm a Republican...

2011-10-26T13:16:00.000-07:00

Contrary to popular misconception, I am a thinking man.I examine and analyze. I ponder...And it is because of that, that I am quandrified. I am in a quandary.For many, many years now I have thought of myself as a self-respecting Liberal. Maybe not a pure Democrat but something akin to that.I have only voted Republican once and that was in 1972. It was the first time I was entitled to vote. I