Vote for Joe

I just wrote a newspaper column about the Antarctica Treaty. It was the first treaty of the Cold War. It was initially signed by 12 nations, including the U.S. There are now 54 nation signatories, and counting. The treaty specifies no nation, at this point, can “own” any part of Antarctica. But the nations can set up research station to do environmentally, non-invasive research. And part of this research, at this point, is how global warming is effecting Antarctica. (Read: thawing, with an exponent.) But some, unbelievably, see this as a good thing because it makes the region more accessible to drilling for fossil fuels and the like — when nations start jockeying for ownership. I note in the column that when you put CO2 and CO2 together, you get: idiocy. Burning fossil fuels is accelerating rising sea levels, massive forest fires, super charged hurricanes and typhoons, drought and famine in more arid countries, thawing in the polar regions… The latter being ‘the canary, or rather the penguin, in the coal mine.’ We would do well, and our administration would push for this, to leave Antarctica what it currently is: the world’s largest nature preserve. And we would do well, concurrently, to start sacrificing much more when it comes to cutting back on energy use, while ramping up alternative energy sources. That is, if we’re interested in being good environmental stewards — the way God might see it.

I’ve just picked my local “Sports Person of the Year” for one of the area newspapers I write for. The boy is a senior at Ada High School, has a mild form of autism, and gets in games, occasionally, toward the end — if the team is winning, or losing, by a lot. He’s played football, basketball, and baseball since he was quite young. And even though he knows he’s not going to get in the games much, he, nonetheless, gives it 100% at practice. One of his coaches told me the boy is an “absolute joy” to be around, and consistently brings everyone’s moods up. The true character (Notre Dame University student) in the movie “Rudy” comes to mind. We could learn from these guys, well, more than we often do.

Catching up… I’m writing this on Dec. 2. And yes, my campaign sign is still up. And no, I’m not waiting on any recounts and/or favorable court cases. I’m actually waiting for Dec. 14. This is the day designated for electors to officially file their votes in their respective states. So… What if between now and then, there’s this HUGE epiphany throughout the country that I am, indeed, the best candidate — and all these electors jump ship and vote for, well, me? It could happen… You know, after giving a talk at Antioch College during Campaign 2000, a professor there referred to me as a “cockeyed-optimist.” She was right…. However, while waiting for my tremendously surprising victory, I still have to, well, put food on the table –and keep up my “populist” image. So to that end, my son Jonathan and I have just finished a porch painting project on a big, 100-year-old rather stately home on Main Street in Bluffton. Came out pretty nice, actually. They don’t call me “Joe the Painter” for nothing… Speaking of Jonathan, when he’s not painting, he’s playing soccer. In fact, he was just named to the 1st Team All-State in Division III Boys High School soccer. Quite an accomplishment… On the small town journalism front, I did, among a number of stories, a nostalgic piece on an old, rather iconic, Marathon Gas Station in a neighboring town. It’s no longer there, except in folks’ memories and old black & white photos. It was referred to back then as a “full service gas station.” That is, besides a full-time mechanic, high school boys would greet you when you pulled up, pump your gas, wash your windshields, and check your oil. The station was in operation during the 1930s, ’40s and ’50s. And speaking the 1950s, we might want to consider recapturing some of the ethos (wholesomeness, etc.) of what that was all about. Our campaign things so. See…

I did an update article on a homeless shelter called City Mission in nearby Findlay, Ohio. (I did the initial article some three years ago.) The title of that article that came out last week: Homeless for the Holidays. The shelter has a capacity for 109 people — singles, families, etc. What’s more, people can stay up to nine months, or sometimes even more. And the facility offers a creative amalgam of addiction recovery options, mental health counseling, education, job training… It’s actually a pretty comprehensive safety net — and the facility takes no federal/state funds. It’s Christian based and relies on donations from local churches, from individuals, and so on. Note: Our administration would use this program as a model that could be replicated in every county in the country. Instead of “three hots and a cot,” as it is colloquially referred to, it’s these types of comprehensive programs that go a long way in helping those who want it, really get back on their feet. For a look at other models we’ve researched across the country to help people get out of poverty in general, see…

I interviewed a local college law professor for a newspaper article that, in part, dealt with the recent Amy Coney Barrett Confirmation Hearings. She teaches Research & Writing classes, Legal Problem Solving & Analysis classes, and so on. She said she was not only ultra-impressed with Ms. Coney Barrett’s knowledge of legal cases across a broad spectrum, but she was just as impressed at her “poise” in dealing with the barrage of questioning. What’s more, when this local law professor was asked about the Democrats threat to “…pack the court,” she said that would be fraught with problems. The most obvious being that each time partisan power shifted on a federal level, the party in power would then be tempted to “…pack the court” some more. This, of course, could get quickly out of hand.