POLITICAL EXTREMISM

It is a given  that very few extremists realize that they in fact are out of the main stream. As a moderate Republican that actually have a few friends that are Democrats, I have observed many in the past months that fit the term extreme on both ends of the political spectrum. I'm probably a little to the right of center, since I observe more wackos on the far left than the right. But then maybe they like the lonely Jackass in the field bray louder than those in the majority. Having said that, I am deeply offended by those in my own party that bring shame and disbelief to the average voter.

The recent election in both the Coeur d'Alene School District and Coer d'Aleene City Council in Idaho,, brought me into the arena, even though I don't live in either. In the past I felt one without skin in the game should stay out of other people's affairs. That was cancelled by the large part of the Reagan Republicans from other areas such as Post falls, Rathdrum and Athol taking an active part in battling other citizen candidates running for non-partisan offices. To these people, politics is war, requiring the faithful to no holds barred interference and sometimes slander.

What brought on this reflective period for me was a phone call the other day by a conservative asking me to join a luncheon group be was forming. Interestingly, he admitted to being a former Constitutionalists turned Republican, yet he is holding his lunches on the same dates and at the same time as the so called, "Reagan Republicans." It would seem to me that Constitutionalists that have reformed as new Republicans are the real RINO'S, not the rank and file that has historical party roots.

I refer to them as imposters since I knew Ronnie Reagan and his late daughter,Maureen back in the sixties. I was an MC at a large speech venue with Reagan, just before he ran for Governor of California, and worked closely with him and his son-in-law, Dave Sills and Maureen during the campaign. That he resembled the loud, knee jerk gang that misrepresents his legacy burns me, but I digress.

After receiving the call from this activist, I politely declined for two reasons. One, I live in Bayview which is kind of a long drive, and two I'm not sure I could in good conscience, join a group that is possibly even further to the right than the RR's. Well, and there is one other reason. I am 75 years old and unlike the old days I don't run around in political circles with my hair on fire anymore.

As I have aged, two things became apparent to me. One, I had grown out of the more raucous party activities that I was a part of in the 1960's. In other words I grew up and matured some. I can listen to other points of view unless they are prefaced by an insult or belittling remark about mine. That from my perspective seems to be more prevalent on the far left. I have actually not received one complaint or put down from the right, even though I am left of many of them.

I won't mention the name of the individual that called me except to say, if I do not know in detail where he is coming from, I am, not like some others I know, going to guess.

I have figured out that the problem in working with others to solve problems in the community, either locally, or nationally, is that extremists tend to make their political philosophy a religion, not a governance. Therefore, you are either a believer, or an apostate. With that inflexible position, or positions, derives our inability to govern ourselves within the bounds of decency and mutual respect.

I will have more to say as the primary candidacies unfold in North Idaho. We still have some wackos out there, and unfortunately as long as moderates refuse to register as Republicans, the activists which have nothing better to do with their lives will run the show giving all of us the choice between bad and worse.

TIME-WARNER RIPOFF

I have Time-Warner Cable for TV, Internet and Phone. When I signed up[ they put me in a package that allows me access to all channels from 2-150 with a couple of exceptions.

Getting 150 channels sounds like a lot, and it would be if in fact you got 150 channels. I decided recently to count the duplications and voids in that 150. Would you believe that of that number, 43 are vacant. Well, not exactly vacant, but duplicates.

For example, Fox news is on channels 54-55-56-57-58-59-60-61. Rather than providing 150 channels, they just fill in the blanks with duplications. 43 such channels exist in this package. If this isn't misrepresentation then what is?

What is worse, is that I get all of the sports channels except ESPNU and the NFL channel. I would be satisfied if they included them and left a couple fewer duplications.

Bottom line, the 150 channel package is actually 107.  Bah Humbug!

SEAHAWKS RULE

There might be someone, somewhere that does not know the Seahawks are NFC champs and are going to the Super Bowl ... But they don't live in the Pacific Northwest.

In a game that wasn't played well by the offense, the defense once again bailed them out. I lost the signal at exactly six o'clock when the Hawks were behind 17-13. When the game finally came back on 15 minutes later, we were in the lead. The Hawks never relinquished that lead the rest of the game, though it was touch and go for awhile.

Now if we could only get the Mariners up to speed.

BAYVIEW WINDSTORM

Saturday dawned with the forecast of high winds. Around 1:30 the breeze kicked up. By about 4:30, powerful winds entered the area. By midnight, winds on Lake Pend Oreille reached 90 mph and 65 mph in Bayview. Thankfully, the power didn't go out here during the NFL playoffs, but stuff banging off my roof suggested that all was not calm.

Around 4:30 or so, I heard thumps and bangs as unknown objects caromed off my roof.  Various items that were on my deck found new homes as well.

As I watched the games I suddenly got an inspiration. "Herb, move your car from beneath the white fir towering above it." I did and it came through unscathed.

I then logged on to the Bayview Naval  Research Detachment weather stations for accurate information on the temperatures and wind velocities. I found 82 mph at the deep moor station north of Cape Horn in the main channel of Lake Pend Oreille and 58 mph gusts in Scenic Bay.

Later that night the Deep Moore station recorded a 90 mph gust.

Waking up this morning produced a calm with no unoccupied boats floating in the bay. Still it is good that we can withstand gusts of that magnitude and come out unscathed.

The LPO Current Weather is available on the internet at: http://lpo.dt.navy.mil/ for those of you interested.

**Monday am 11:15 a gust of 77mph hit the lake.

NFL JUSTICE

Let me see if I have this straight. An NFL team CEO hires a General Manager. He then Hires a team coach and assistants. The GM then drafts, signs and in other ways procures the players.

Where I get confused is when a GM hires a coach that has had success with other teams, then fires him because he, the GM didn't get him players he could win with, he then fires the coach for incompetence.

Said GM then goes out and finds another winning coach to bring victory home. He too fails.

Given this situation where apparently the guilty party is the GM, he gets to shift the blame to the coach and players with attitudes. Why doesn't the team owners hire a winning coach then let the coach hire the GM?

So far this month, about six coaches have been fired. Only one GM, that of Miami was fired, too. This suggests that the idiots are the team owners who allow an incompetent manager to run his multi-billion dollar team, not the poor guy that was saddled with lousy players. The general managers are the ones that make player acquisition decisions, not the coach.

Perhaps it is time to force team owners such as in Washington, to sell the team to someone that knows how to run it.

Go Seahawks!

Pneumonia Sucks

There is an inordinate amount of pneumonia activity this Winter with yours truly leading the pack. I have been under the weather for about three weeks or so with bacterial pneumonia. As of last Monday I am clear of congestion and now working on getting my strength back.

My closest neighbor also has been afflicted with said disease too. What with that plus a bunch of Flu cases, a large group of sick people are staying home. At least we hope they are, since we do not need people that work with the public such as bartenders and waitresses spreading ill health.

The holidays are in the rear view mirror and starting next week I will be working on the 2014 Diamond Cup. Tickets are being sold locally so that working with Tickets West and credit cards is one of many improvements that are taking place as we learn from our mistakes.

Some of the businesses that support the race and also have tickets for sale are: Inland Northwest Bank Branches,  Kootenai Lawn & Garden, Angel Gallery, Super One and Crickets.