Saturday, June 27, 2015

AN OLIO

Definition - olio: a miscellaneous collection of things.

Today is the birthday of two Americans who ran for president. Ross Perot is 85. Bruce Babbitt is 77. 

You probably couldn't find two more diametrically opposed politicians. 

Babbitt is a tall Democrat who served Arizona as Attorney General and, for 9 years, as governor. He later became U.S. Secretary of the Interior and was twice considered by President Bill Clinton for a seat on the U.S. Supreme Court. He ran for president in 1988 but dropped out after disappointing results in Iowa and New Hampshire.

Perot is a pint-sized billionaire Texas businessman who ran for president twice in the 1990's. The first time he was an independent and the second time as the candidate of The Reform Party.

Both men were unsuccessful.

Speaking of businessmen running for president, there's Donald Trump.


And speaking of creatures trying for future glories, consider this one in my backyard.


Need a closer look?


He appears to be considering a high dive into the bird bath but I've never seen him there so he may just be checking it out.

The other night a different creature was checking out our patio lamp.



The praying mantis crawled briefly into the lamp but apparently decided it was too hot and came back out again. Fascinating critter.

O.K. That's all I've got today. Except for one last thought on the Charleston tragedy and its aftermath.



7 comments:

  1. I liked Babbit a lot, he was perhaps our best SecInt in modern times. His platform plank about a national sales tax probably did in any hope he had for president. I didn't know he was only 77, practically a peer.
    Regarding the flag, it's impressive how many still parrot the thought that it only represents a 'way of life'.....well, they are correct in a way, the 'way of life' is slavery and oppression.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Nice eclectic post.
    Babbitt was a good public servant. Perot was more intelligent and cagey than as he was perceived, though probably a bit of an autocrat. Trump is a contemptuous, indolent, imbecile and jackass.
    Nice nature photos of your visitors.
    The President took all of us to Church yesterday!

    ReplyDelete
  3. In 1971 I worked for the number 4 largest brokerage firm, the second largest was E.I. Dupont. Both firms were about to go belly up which would have shattered the confidence in our entire banking system and bring down several other large firms (firms were in trouble from the "paper crisis" of too much trading and no computers to keep up with it.) Merrill the largest firm agreed to step in and save #4 Goodbody and Co. if someone would save E.I. Dupont. Ross Perot was that man. He probably lost a fortune, but helped stave off a major financial disaster similar to the one we almost had a few years ago. I don't think he was ever given very much credit for what he did.

    ReplyDelete
  4. I don't think Trump is a clown, he is just not really interested in becoming President, he just loves the publicity!

    ReplyDelete
  5. I'll believe Trump is serious when he starts spending millions of his own dollars to finance a run for the presidency. Talk is cheap, like his haircut.

    ReplyDelete
  6. Pretty cool post... I do remember too "Mickey Mouse" for President...

    ReplyDelete
  7. There was a tobacco barn on my commute that had PEROT on it - they finally tore it down last year & built a new one. It has WAY less character than the old one!

    ReplyDelete