The Blaisdell Blog

Lord Acton (1834-1902) was the first person to say that power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely.   He was an English politician and historian.   He was also an observant man, though not always a wise one.   He considered America ’s Federalism the best guarantee of personal freedom and liberty, but then took this laudable idea a step too far by supporting the Confederacy.   He placed the South’s elevation of states’ rights above the human rights issue of slavery.   Clearly, Lord Acton was on the wrong side of not just history, but justice, God and basic humanity on that one.   Yet, he still was spot on when he coined that phrase about power and its inexorable march toward corruption.    You can not have power without abuse.   Any person, even a very good person, will eventually succumb to the subtle corrupting influence of power.   Anyone seeking the ring of power ends up like Smeagol—eating raw fish with their bare hands and saying, “Gollum, Gollum” in a nasty gutt

New Zealand and America appear to be two formerly British countries separated by a common language.   There are times when it is hard to believe that everyone I meet is actually speaking English.   Yesterday we were speaking to a very nice gentlemen at a repair shop and, while I did carry on a conversation, I honestly only caught about every third word.   I also know from the number of times I am asked to repeat myself that they are having as much trouble with my, “accent” as I am with theirs.   Actually, I have a fool proof excuse for asking New Zealanders to repeat themselves—and a little slower, please and thank you.   I simply apologize for my 67 year old ears (no lie there) and explain that I am a little hard of hearing.   No offense to be taken.                 But, no doubt about it, I am learning to speak, “New Zealandese.”   Here are just a few examples:             A Long Black :   our version of a good cup of black coffee.             A Short Black : an espre

Presidents Day is celebrated on the 3 rd Monday in February.   Traditionally it was celebrated on February 22, the date of President George Washington’s actual birthday.   But specific dates on the calendar have a pesky habit of falling on every day of the week.   If what you want is not just to commemorate our first President, but to create a three day holiday for the nation’s workers, you have to set not a date, but a day.   So, in 1971 the Uniform Monday Holiday Act was passed, and Washington’s Birthday became, “President’s Day.” Decades ago I read my first Presidential biography.   It was the life of Woodrow Wilson, and I have been hooked ever since.   I’ve covered 15 of our 44 Presidents so far.   I don’t read them in any particular order.   Travel, current events or a whisper on the wind will dictate which biography I start next.   Sometimes one biography leads to another.   After reading the spectacular book, Truman , by David McCullough, I was eager to read a biography

My favorite Winter Olympic sport is Biathlon.   For those of you (and you are legion) who have never heard of biathlon, it is a sport that combines cross-country skiing and marksmanship.   Both men and women compete, singly and as teams.             The sport has its roots in Norway and was a part of military training.   The reasons for this training are obvious.   If you are protecting a mountainous and snow-bound country from invaders you are going to have to travel fast and shoot straight.   It sounds so simple.   But, like so much that seems simple on the surface, there are layers of complication.               Imagine yourself as a competitor in this race.   You are a skier on a cross-country race.   You can cover the course in any style you wish, but your skis, poles and rifle are your only required and allowed material.    The ski’s can not be shorter than your height, minus 4 cm.   Some of the hills are up hill and you have to climb them in your skis.   Some are down

People from Indiana will tell you that when they build a high school they build the basketball gym first and the school with whatever money is left over.   In Texas they start with the football field.   Tom and I are now in New Zealand and have seen the Kiwi version of the same thing—the swimming pool.   We have not passed a school that did not have a decent sized lap pool on the grounds with dozens of heads churning through the water.   Every lane is filled with a rhythmic line of swimmers building endurance by logging time.   Hot or cold, rain or shine, early or late, they are there.   I know the routine: head low, arms cutting the water like blades, the slightest rooster tail in the kick, flip turn, push off the wall and keep going, guts out, gung ho, lap, after lap, after lap.               All forms of water sport are revered in this island country.   They don’t just race, however.   These same swim clubs compete in life saving and sea rescue meets.   We had the privileg

It was 7:00 a.m. on a Sunday morning, but Mary Carmen Garcia (27) and Daniel Guardiola Dominquez (28) were not headed for church.   Instead, their white Nissan Sentra pulled up to the border patrol station at Anzalduas International Bridge near McAllen , Texas .   Alerted by outstanding warrants issued by the McAllen Police Department, Customs and Border Protection officers arrested the couple.   Hidden within their clothing were more than 100 cloned credit cards. Garcia and Dominquez had done this before and since criminals are seldom smart, they couldn’t wait to come back for a second (third, fourth…) bite at the apple.   Their 100 fake credit cards had already gotten tens of thousands of dollars of merchandise at the usual list of big box stores, including Wal-Mart, Best Buy, and Toys R Us.   [A store I refuse to shop at because its name should be Toys R We.    They can’t get the grammar right, let alone that damn, “R”]             The McAllen Police began working with

Do you like horses?   I have a real soft spot for big horses: Clydesdales, Shires, Belgians, etc., but I’m frankly afraid of them.   They are big and stupid and man or beast that is a bad combination.               Scientifically, there is a legitimate debate about whether America ’s wild horses, “Mustangs” are a native or invasive species.   While equines did evolve in North America in the Eocene epoch and were widespread by the Pleistocene, they left North American some 10,000 years ago.    They were returned to these shores by the Spanish explorers.   Once lost, stolen or strayed onto the grasslands of their ancestors, horses thrived.   They were soon adopted for use by the Native Americans, dramatically changing both their lives and social structure.             As the Great Plains filled up with ranchers and farmers, the mystique of the Mustangs dropped precipitously.    These horses were seen as a nuisance and competition for scarce resources.   They were hunted, ki