THE DEAL WITH IRAN

THE DEAL WITH IRAN

Peace Sign?

A cranky opinion for

CRANKY OPINION SATURDAY

The following is the opinion of a cranky old man with little knowledge on the topic opined.  Opposing views are welcome but will probably be ignored.  Mean-spirited comments will be deleted.  As always, no name calling…that means you, you big stupid-head!

As a semi-conservative Republican, I should probably not like the deal to limit nuclear development in Iran.

First, the deal was negotiated by John Kerry and supported by President Obama.  I distrust both.

Secondly I do not see how we can trust Iran given their hateful rhetoric for the last forty plus years.

Finally let me say I have no knowledge whatsoever about the agreement other than what I have read, I am not an expert on the Middle East, and I really do not understand the economic impact of this agreement.

So, am I in favor of this agreement? Given that last paragraph, why do you care?  Here is my opinion anyway:

I think the agreement will certainly make it more difficult for Iran to develop an atomic bomb; that is a good thing.  If it does not make it more difficult to develop an atomic weapon I believe we will still have the most unpleasant and undesirable option of bombing the crap out of their reactors that we have today...and that is all we have today.   

I suppose you could make the argument that releasing billions of dollars to Iran by ending sanctions will make it easier for them to develop a bomb.  Maybe, but I think that Iran could find a way to finance atomic development if they want, and destroying their economy with economic sanctions might only make them more intent to build and use one.

I read where many people think we should have continued sanctions, brought Iran to its knees and forced them to agree to whatever we demand.  To me that sounds like a recipe for contempt, hatred, and a desire for revenge. 

If you corner a defenseless animal, you will be scratched or bitten.  If you humiliate and beat down a country, that country will also scratch or bite when given no other choice.

The people of Iran broke out in celebration at this agreement; hundreds of thousands of people were dancing in the streets.  Were they happy because now they could build a bomb and kill millions of people?  Maybe; I think a little more of humanity than to believe that.  Maybe the people in Iran were celebrating expected improvement in their economic conditions that will follow this agreement.

This seems to me to be a good thing.  Poverty does not make people compliant.  People with no hope are dangerous people.  Affluence seldom leads to rape, plunder and war.  Affluence and hope for the future leads to industriousness and productivity, education and modernity, it creates people that are too busy to hate, and too busy to make war and risk what they have.

This agreement is not the best we could have achieved but it is probably better than no agreement.  If we listened to all the pundits we would never have an agreement…ever…with anybody.

Just once, let us look at this agreement without trying to make political points.  I still don’t respect John Kerry, I still do not think President Obama is a great President, but I do not think this agreement makes us any more vulnerable to a dangerous Iran.  Maybe it will delay or stop their nuclear development, maybe it will help move the Iranian people to be less antagonistic.

What do we really have to lose with this agreement?

Hell, what have we done in the Middle East in the last 75 years that has ever improved conditions and reduced cultural animosities?

The preceding was the opinion of a cranky old man and not necessarily that of management…Mrs. Cranky.

THE GAMES THEY ARE A CHANGING

THE GAMES THEY ARE A CHANGING

I often wax nostalgic on this blog, but truth is things weren’t really better in the “old days” they were just different.  They were only better in our memories. 

Spencer, my 17 year old crank, plays “Madden Football” on a PlayStation computer thing.  It has amazing graphics and realistic football playing conditions.  How could the old football games we used to have possible be better?  They weren’t, except they were in my memory.

We had three popular football board games that I remember.

There was “Photo-Electric Football.”

 

In this two player game each had a series of offense plays and a set of defenses on sheets of special paper.  The player on offense would lay his “play” on a simulated field; the defense player would lay his defense on top.  The “play” and the “defense” was not apparent until you turned on a light projection under the field, and slowly pulled out a cardboard piece allowing the light through.  When the defense card had a player that crossed the offense play, it was a tackle. 

Anyway, hard to visualize, but that was the basics of the game.  It did not take long for the cards to be marked or bent, and defenses would be laid on top of an offense just off kilter enough to stuff a play that ordinarily was effective against the same defense.

It was a good game, but it was flawed.

Then there was “Electric football.”

In this game each team had eleven players with slanted rubber “feet.” The players were placed on a board which when turned on vibrated and caused the players with the slanted rubber feet to move forward. When the offense and defenses were in place, the board was turned on and the players started to move.  When a defensive player pushed through the blockers and touched the ball carrier it was a tackle.  Some players tended to run straight ahead, some tended to take wide circles.  Some were faster than others.  It took forever to set up and run a single play.  This game was best when playing alone with nothing but a ten year olds imagination.

The board game I liked the best was “Pro Football Quarterback” I have posted about it before @ http://joeh-crankyoldman.blogspot.com/2012/07/pro-quarterback-board-game.html  

and @ http://joeh-crankyoldman.blogspot.com/2012/07/pro-quarterback-board-game-shocking-new.html .

This game combined the offense and defense play selection of Photo-Electric Football with the luck of rolling dice.  Once plays were selected, each player rolled some dice, and the combined total of the dice determined the success of the play.

I remembered this game as the greatest board game ever, and when my sons were ten and twelve, I found it for sale at a local store.  I bought it for Christmas.  I was looking forward to showing my boys what a great board game was all about.

I bragged about what a great game this was.  It required skill, strategy, and a little bit of luck…just like the real game…way better than “Pac Man” or any of those stupid computer games.

I first showed the game and rules to Matt, my ten year old, a lad who had the reputation of possessing good luck.  I explained that if you used certain plays against certain defenses your chance of success would be minimal.

Matt won the toss and took possession of the ball.  I knew how the ten year old mind works, and knew what play he would call.  I would teach him a lesson of patience and strategy.  He would pick a Hail Mary long pass on his first play, so I picked the best pass defense card I had.

He showed his play.  I anticipated correctly. 

“See Matt, that play is for a last ditch situation where time is running out and you need an all or nothing play.  It is not a good play to use on your very first play.  If you roll anything but triple sixes it will be incomplete and if you roll less than ten I get an interception.”

“OK, let’s roll.”

It came up triple sixes…TOUCHDOWN!!

“Great, but you were so lucky, that was not the way to play.”

“It worked!”

When I got the ball, I ran up the middle on the first play and our roll came up triple ones…fumble and Matt recovers.

“See, the run isn’t so safe.”

“Play!”

On his second offensive play, Matt once again used the Hail Mary like I knew he would.  I used my best pass defense.

“I knew you would try the same play. That is just not the way to play!”

“Let’s roll.”

Triple sixes…TOUCHDOWN!!

Without saying a word, I packed up all the offense and defense plays, and the dice, put them away in the game, folded it up, snapped it shut, and it was never played again

“I don’t know Dad; I don’t think the game is that much fun.”

How Long Are You Going To Take

How Long Are You Going To Take

I often write about Mrs. Cranky.  Lately I am paying special attention to how she treats me.  You see we have been married now four and a half years.  In six months I have a big decision to make.  Mrs. Cranky doesn’t believe me, but when we married there was some legal papers filed. I claim there is a clause which apparently she and her lawyer missed that gives me a chance to reevaluate the relationship after five years.  I call it the bail-out clause.

So far things are going very nicely.  Except for being called a jerk from time to time, we have a very nice relationship; however since I only have this one time and one time only chance of activating my bail-out clause I am closely evaluating her behavior.

Today for instance, I was washing dishes.  We are in a small apartment on the Shore where the kitchen is only feet from the living area.  We have no dishwasher, so I like to keep on top of the dirty dishes.  It was 11:00 and I was running the hot water and scrubbing dishes, pots and pans.

“How much longer are you going to be?”

“Maybe ten minutes.  What am I making too much noise washing dishes?  Oh, what a horrible inconsiderate husband, noisily washing the dishes while you are trying to get caught up on “Say Yes to the Dress” on the TV.  I am sooo sorry.”

“I didn’t say you were making too much noise.”

“I know you; I know exactly why you were asking.”

“I don’t think you do.”

“Then why do you care that I am washing the dishes?”

“Well it is not because I can’t hear.”

“OK, I’m sorry, I thought I was disturbing your TV watching with my dish washing. “

“See, you don’t know everything Mr. Smartypants.”

“So why do you care how much longer I am going to take doing the dishes?”

“Just curious.”

“WHY…?”

“OK, I’m watching on-demand and have the TV on pause while you are making all that noise.”

One step closer to invoking the clause in six months.