Social Security and Nuclear War

Social Security better not be doing much changing any time soon. Us thirty-somethings, as we are whether or not we admit it, are going to bear the brunt of the crisis under the Bush plan. Can we sacrifice our long-term, meaning 30 years or more, fiscal stability to the private market?

That's our payout thirty years from now. We have a vested interest in the long term stability of the Social Security system. Bush wants to deflate it now, and turn it over to his Enron-type Yale buddies.

I must admit that at this point I am really confused by President Bush. I had hoped that he would realize that that balloon had no lift. You can't touch this.

But over time he has really been blathering on, knowing full well he does not have enough capital to give the plan momentum. (Bush is short on momentum.) Or is he?

I suppose it's Karl Rove who I should be trying to figure out. Or maybe that Christian right guy. Or is it the man who has been to more Oath of Offices than pretty much anyone?

Is it the man who had it all figured out at Yale, so he skated along with C's while he did whatever nasty things frat boys do. And he slid through the National Guard. And avoided Vietnam.

He has Washington connections. Now, behind the scenes, he seems to be working his mojo. In a few weeks, who knows? A few months? I dread to think what he can do.

He had enough capital to declare a nuclear emergency in Iraq. What if he can talk up that kind of emergency again?

Taking A Few Months Off

So much for pledging to write more consistently! I decided to look back out and get a sense of the prevailing winds, since they had obviously changed, or rather, did not conincide with my own conclusions about who we are as Americans.

I've been watching football, praying for the NHL to come to its senses. After November, I needed a little victory. Well, I'd say I got my victory, twice over. I'll add a little bit (since there's no football this weekend, I have time to peck this out) to the Super Bowl hype.

A Tale of Two Teams
There once was a little lad, me, growing up in Vacationland, New England. (For those of you outside of the northeast, that's Maine.) While we did not have any sports teams, other than the Mariners, we had the New England Patriots. Oh, they stank, for sure, but we loved them because they were from New England, and they were Patriots. We all are.

And we had tremendous players, like Steve Grogan, who were in the elite of the elite, but they were local secrets. As a Patriot, Grogan passed 31 TDs and 8 interceptions in a season. All other QBs who have passed for 30 TDs gave away 10 or more interceptions. Steve once had a game rating of more then 220. Unfortunately, when we did get to the Superbowl back in '84, the stategy of stripping to victory did not pan out against the Bear's two-ton line and the sure hands of Walter Payton. A blow out we were ready for, but mourned just the same.

Almost two decades went by, we watched that darling, but crappy team from Buffalo rise to prominence, but come back empty. And we all waited, while everyone bought 49er jerseys, then Raider, and Cowboy and then Bill Parcells happened. What a watershed event! We had Drew and Bill and then came Tommy and Bill Belicheck. And Romeo and Charlie. And now the Patriot dynasty has been established. Back to back Lombardi trophies! I pick the Pats by 10.

Same lad, New Jersey, 1984: Philadelphia Eagles, led by Buddy Ryan and Jaws. My stepbrother was an Eagles fan. I did not know you could have a favorite team in both leagues without being a Benedict Arnold. And they were the Eagles, what's more Patriotic than Eagles?

As time went by, we saw Randall grow up and away, and change the league with his style. And along comes Andy Reid and Donovan McNabb and a host of others and three NFC title games and finally a win in the fourth.

I never really thought I'd see the day of a Philly - New England SuperBowl. Now I gotta choose. I still say Pats by 10.

I want to see Donovan and company earn a ring. I really do. So I am secretly rooting for the Eagles. I won't be disappointed if the Pats lose. But, even as Donovan is poised to make history and I know he has the ability to step up, I do not think the Eagles are strong enough to take on the Bellicheck/Crennell/Weis juggernaut.

Which brings me to next year, and the knowledge that the Patriots are going to have a new coaching staff, and might not make it this far again for a few years. So, next year I like the Eagles' chances. This just won't be their year.

Either way, how can you ignore a Super Bowl from the cradle of democracy? Next year it's the Moms versus the Apple Pies, but for now it's Patriots v. Eagles.